


My little flower

by imaginativemind29



Series: Grimborn Family AU [1]
Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Branding, Captured, Dragon Whisperer, F/M, Female Night Fury, First Time, Loss of Innocence, Memory Loss, Mind Games, Minor Character Death, Poisoning, Psychological Trauma, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Slavery, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Viggo and Ryker's sister, War, Whipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 08:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 105
Words: 271,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20386888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginativemind29/pseuds/imaginativemind29
Summary: "Grimborn." She let the name roll from her tongue, her forehead creased into a frown. "Who is that?"Raised by dragons from an early age, Lilly had no contact to another human being for thirteen years. Being a wide eyed innocent she has no idea of the dangers that lie ahead of her small paradisaical island. Still her curiosity drives her closer to the foreign yet so fascinating humans.What will happen when a young auburn Viking crashes into her world? And why does her heart skip a beat at the name Grimborn?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story of mine was originally posted on Wattpad, but I have rewritten most of the chapters and will re-upload them here since I'm moving away from WP. 
> 
> This is my first fanfiction ever. Please bear with me for any typos, english is not my first language. 
> 
> Takes place as an AU after the RTTE Episode Enemy of my Enemy

13 years earlier (to RTTE timeline)

Viggo stretched along the prow of the ship as it sliced through black water. At night, the ocean offered a beautiful reflection of the starry sky above and the promise of a cold grave below. A gentle breeze billowed the sails and Viggo sucked in salty air – it would be time soon.

His father and chief of the dragon hunters, Ragnar, crouched near, a map spread out on his knees, eyes surveying the sea road ahead. „Our way gets marred. Do you see?"

Viggo studied the water, searching for the signs that meant there were rocks ahead, or a sunken ship, unusual swirls, or a sudden chop of waves. Ragnar was always the first to spot them, but now that Viggo was fifteen years old his father allowed him to take over this task and Viggo was getting better at it each time they set sail for a new hunt.

„Rocks." Viggo said and without hesitation he turned and called to his father's second in command where he stood on the bridge. „Turn starboard!"

The ship turned to avoid the sharp danger. On either side, outlines of small islands rose around the ship. These were the waters of Scauldron island, which was a series of small islands and rocky protrusions that offered sanctuary to the tidal class dragons. They were treacherous in daylight and nearly impassable at night, except by Viggo's father. Under his command, the hunters sailed as smoothly as if on open blue water.

Ragnar stood, gestured a man to hand him bow and arrow. „Get the cages ready. They are near."

„Yeah I can already smell them." Ryker, Viggo's older brother added, sniffing the air as he dunked arrows into a bucket filled with dragon root.

A small thrill straightened Viggo's spine. Scauldrons were risky to hunt, but the dragon's venom was worth a fortune on the market. He climbed to his feet and joined his brother in preparing the arrows. It wasn't long till the hunters spotted the dragons. It was a group, a small herd, resting in the dark water.

Ragnar gestured to his men, demanding silence as the ship navigated closer. Viggo's heart beat faster in anticipation. „Don't wet your pants little brother." Ryker mocked at his side, his black ponytail billowed behind him, battling with the wind.

Viggo glared as he readied his bow. „Shut up Ryker."

Ryker snickered.

„Sh, will you two be quiet!" Ragnar hissed, there was concern in his voice. „Or else..."

He didn't get to finish. A screeching sound split the air and Viggo cried out as a sudden blast hit the ship, splintering the mast in two. The impact threw him off his feet and all air was knocked from his lungs as he came down hard onto his back. He gasped, tried to breathe but found himself unable to. Footsteps. Hunters hurrying over the ship. Fire. Dragon screeches. The Scauldrons – they were attacking. Finally air came back to him and Viggo pushed himself up to his knees, then back to his feet. Shock was written all over his face as a dark shadow appeared over the ship once more. What kind of dragon was that?

Another blast – more fire. He needed to act. Viggo stumbled across the deck, searching for his father, his brother.

„Down!" A voice yelled and Viggo yelped as he was pushed down onto the wooden planks once more. Steaming hot water hit the spot where he stood just seconds ago. A few drops landed on his skin and Viggo cried out – it burned. „Th-thanks." He muttered breathlessly as he stared into the eyes of his father's second in command, Magnus.

On the other side of the ship a little girl stumbled onto deck. Her eyes were wide in terror. „Viggo!" She screamed, her eyes scanning the ship in desperation. „Viggo!" This was not what she had expected when she sneaked onto the ship at home. All she wanted was to join the men, to be where Viggo was. She was no baby after all, she was five years old - a big girl. She didn't feel big now – or brave, all she knew was deadly fear.

The little girl ran over to the bridge, trying not to get trampled by the men running around in panic.

„What is this little brat doing here?!" Ryker bellowed as he ducked his head under a Scauldron's blast. Then he was at her side and shoved her out of the way quite ruthlessly.

The girl staggered and fell, her eyes filled with tears. „Please stop!" She pleaded to the dragons, knowing they wouldn't even hear her. The girl tried to get up only to fall back down as suddenly a big, dark dragon landed right in front of her. The dragon growled, gathering its fire in its mouth - men shouted and cursed all around her in shock. The girl shrieked, hid her face behind her hands. „Please don't hurt me!" She would die now – the pain would come any moment...

But nothing happened. The girl peeked through her fingers and what she found let her inhale sharply. The black dragon was gazing curiously at her and took a step closer. „A hatchling?" A foreign voice echoed in the girl's mind. Taking a heart, the girl reached out her hand very carefully and the dragon ventured even closer, sniffing her.

The moment lasted less than a heartbeat. A shocked scream startled the girl and the dragon gave a jerk backwards, baring its teeth with a threatening growl as a brown-haired boy jumped in between them, shielding the girl from the dragon with his body, an arrow pointed at the beast.

„Lilly! What by Odin are you doing here!?" He shouted, his face pale in shock.

Just for a moment he turned his head to face her, dark brown eyes meeting her blue ones, unaware of the dragons next action.

"Viggo - watch out!" Lilly cried and jumped to her feet. Viggo screamed in anguish, bow and arrow landing on the planks with a low clank as he fell to his knees, his hand grabbing at his neck, feeling nothing but hot liquid there. Blood. This was his blood. Terror stabbed a hole into Viggo's stomach as he realized what just happened. The black dragon growled one last time before it disappeared into the dark sky as fast as it had landed before. Lilly's clasped her hands in front of her mouth – oh gods no! Viggo was making a sickening, gurgling sound. „Help!" Lilly cried out, stepping closer to Viggo as panic rushed through her little body and mind. „Help us!"

The ship shook violently under a new attack of the Scauldrons and Lilly staggered and swayed as a wave splashed onto deck. She was sobbing and her little heart raced in fear. Another dragon crashed into the ship and she lost her balance, stumbling towards the railing. „AH! Viggo!" It was too slippery to get hold and with a desperate cry she was falling. Her body crashed the surface of the deep dark sea. She couldn't swim.

On the ship, Viggo was fighting to stay conscious, too much blood leaving his body where the dragon's claws had torn his neck. „No..." He rasped out, his eyes flowing with tears as his heart shattered to pieces. „No please...no..."

„Viggo! By the gods! Magnus, help him – quick! Heat my dagger in the fire, we need to burn out the wound." His father's desperate voice rang in his ears as he knelt down by him and took his upper body into his lap. Viggo was gasping for breath. He had never felt such pain before – inside and out. He just wanted to die. "Stay with me boy."

But all the teenager managed was a gurgling sound and under quiet sobs the crew could hear him repeat her name over and over again. "Lilly ...no please ... little ... flower."

With the last word on his lips he sunk into darkness.


	2. Chapter 1 - Wild and free

Sleeping in a nest high up a tree, sheltered by the shade of broad leaves, yet with the first warm rays of the morning sun just touching her nose, was a girl.

A girl of seventeen or eighteen, naked, except for a washed-out beige kilt reaching from her waist to her knees, made of clothes that she had outgrown years ago. Her long copper hair was a curly mess splayed out around her as she moved uneasily in her sleep. From a thick branch beside her hung a large dark dragon, upside down like a bat and opened its eyes as the girls whimpers drew to the dragons ears.

_The girl was running through a sea of red, yellow and orange, the cries of people echoed all around her. Fear was coiling like a living creature in her stomach. She screamed on top of her lungs. Flames rippled their way through wooden planks, tendrils of smoke reaching desperately into the sky, as if trying to escape the inferno below. There was a screech. Her heart hammered. Someone screamed her name and the girl tried to move but her feet wouldn't budge for some reason. Then her vision swayed, she tripped and with a high pitched scream she fell into darkness._

_ „LILLY!"_

A nudge to her ribs had Lilly jerk awake. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest, her body drenched in cold sweat. Though her eyes were open now, she didn't know why, her mind still more in the subconscious world than in the presence. It wasn't until familiar round blue eyes came into her view that she shook out of it.

_„Shadow..."_ She gasped as her breathing slowly turned back to normal.

The Night Fury, now sitting at the edge of the nest, purred in affection. _„Was it the bad dream again?"_

Lilly nodded, bit her lower lip. _„It's always the same...there's fire and humans running around...someone screaming my name..."_

_„That's been long ago, little one, don't worry about it. Jali and I saved you and no one can hurt us here."_ Shadow said and inched closer to nudge Lilly's side. _„You know, humans are bad..." _

_„Humans are bad, evil creatures who do nothing but hurt and kill dragons...yes I know Shadow. You've told me a hundred times."_ Lilly said with an eye-roll and couldn't help but giggle a little as Shadow's tail came down in a light blow to her head. _„Where is Jali anyway?"_ Lilly reached up to scratch Shadow behind her ear. The echo of the dream was still present at the back of her mind, but she tried to shove it to the side as she always did. Shadow was right – it was the best for the three of them to stay away from humans.

_„How am I supposed to know...a little more to the left...no the other left...oh that's the right point, I got an itch there..."_ Shadow's eyes fell closed with a content purr and Lilly just giggled again.

_ „I bet he is chasing after fish already."_ Lilly mused.

This got Shadow's attention. Her eyes snapped open as she drew her head away. _"Then why don't you join him and bring some breakfast for your best friend."_

_ "Why don't you come too?_" Shadow huffed and shot Lilly a playful glare.

_"And get wet? Don't you know me?_"

_„Well you could use a bath - your ears are a little mucky."_ Lilly shrugged, then laughed as she earned another blow of Shadow's tail.

_„Oh get out of here!"_ With that she turned her back on Lilly and went back to let herself dangle form the same thick branch as before, her wings wrapped tight around her body.

Lilly giggled at the sight of the moody dragon and made her way to climb down the tree that held her nest in its crown. It was not much, but warm and cozy and it protected her from snakes and all other sorts of crawling animals at night. Lilly stretched her arms high above her head as she hit the ground, trying to bring life back into them and yawned.

The world was awakening all around her, filling the air with the hum and the murmur of wood insects, the happy, magical tune of birdsong and the faint, far song of the reef. Above all this was another tinkling, rippling sound – water. Lilly made her way towards the sound and soon found herself in a little grass-grown glade. From the hilly ground above, over a rock black and polished like ebony, fell a tiny waterfall. Ferns grew around and above great ropes of wild vine twined like a snake from tree to tree and all sorts of wonderful flowers filled the air with their alluring scent.

Lilly knelt down at the edge of the lake, dabbling her hands in the water before she lifted them to her mouth and drank greedily. Just above the waterfall sprang a tree laden with fruit. The colors of the egg shaped fruits varied from deep red to soft orange and the mere sight of them let Lilly's stomach rumble in hunger. In a moment she was back at her feet and going up the rock like a cat, for there was nothing for her to climb by. She stuffed her mouth full with sweet, ripe fruits, their sticky juices trickling down her chin as she sat there and took in the scenery that unfolded around her. Her heart leaped at the sight. She would never get enough of this place. It was her home, where she grew up with Shadow, the Night Fury and Jali, the Scauldron. The dragons have taught her everything she knew. Lilly giggled as she recalled Jali learning her how to swim and dive. It was pretty hard at the beginning but now, after all those years, she could easily catch up with him even on large distances. Still...the memory of her dream lingered. If she could only remember what happened on the day of the fire... Lilly swallowed, wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and jumped down the rock. Maybe one day she would find out or maybe she could bring Jali to tell her a little more than Shadow. It was time to find him.

Humming a cheerful tune Lilly headed down to the beach. On her way she picked up a scarlet blossom and tugged it behind her ear. Her feet sunk into the warm sand as soon as she stepped out of forest and she let out a content sigh as she sucked in a deep breath of salty air.

In front of her unfolded the unending grains of golden sand, as if the whole island was made out of gold itself. Shimmering blue waters that sparkled in the presence of the sunlight encircled the island. Greenery spread out all around behind her, with patches of different colored flowers that grew among bushes occasionally.

_"Good morning Lilly, come for a swim?_" Jali's musical voice echoed in her mind. The large blue dragon was swirling around in the crystal blue water. Lilly smiled widely and ran to the shore, splashing into the water and diving right to his side.

_"There's nothing I would rather do."_ She laughed and swirled around in a playful manner. Lilly never felt more alive than when she was diving in the ocean. Water was her element.

Jali's cheerful laughter filled her head as she reached him and petted his snout. His scales were cool and smooth beneath her palm. _"Come on then little one, let's get breakfast._" He chimed.


	3. Chapter 2 - Viggo

Viggo was sitting behind his desk, studying the map the dragon eye produced to the wall of his cabin.

He smiled to himself, satisfied that he outsmarted Hiccup with using Heather against him. Nevertheless he felt deep respect for the youth, an opponent with such an intellect was rare indeed. But that of course would not save Hiccup or any of his riders and dragons. Viggo was determined to capture and slaughter every dragon in the Archipelago especially a certain Night Fury.

He traced the scar along his neck with one finger. He knew it wasn't the boys annoying dragon who caused it, but it was still a Night Fury. And he and all other dragons had to pay for what they had cost him, had taken away from him.

A very familiar wave of anger and hate rose in his stomach and Viggo clenched his hands to fists as he got up to take a closer look at the map. There was a light knock on the cabin door which was quickly followed by the sound of footsteps coming in - Ryker no doubt, being as graceful as a Gronckle like usual. Viggo fought back the urge to roll his eyes - was a moment of peace too much to ask for?

"What do I owe the honor of your visit big brother? I thought I have made myself clear that I would not like to be disturbed." He turned to face his older brother, hands folded behind his back and eyebrows raised as he waited for Ryker to explain himself.

Ryker took a step back and glanced at him, mouth twitching and brows furrowed. Viggo instantly knew that something was bothering him.

"You did...but this is important... I've got some unpleasant news about our latest load of dragons..." Ryker scratched his neck nervously as Viggo's eyes narrowed. "Well...there was an attack of the dragon riders and now...unfortunately...the load is gone."

Ryker dropped his hand and swallowed thickly, awaiting his brother's outburst - but nothing of the sort happened. Viggo only hummed to himself as he rounded his desk to a low cupboard where he kept a fresh bouquet of white lilys and let one smooth petal run through his fingers. This boy and his riders were becoming a serious nuisance, ruining his business and his mission. He needed to put an end to it - but all in due time. Hiccup may have managed another move against him in their game, which was quite intriguing. The boy had courage, Viggo gave him that - but this game wasn't over yet and Viggo was far from done playing.

"Ah ... Viggo? What are we going to do about this?" Ryker was getting uncomfortable.

Finally, Viggo turned and stepped up to him, lips upturned into the tiniest of smirks. "Nothing for now my dear brother, we will get revenge very soon and when the time comes Hiccup Haddock will wish he missed the day he was born. But for now leave them be, let them believe they are safe for a little while."

With that he placed a single lily in his brother's armour. He gave Viggo a weird look. "Why do you always keep them, you know she won't come back...it's been years and..."

Ryker could not finish his sentence. Viggo was squeezing his neck, making his brother choke. "Don't you ever dare to say that again." He whispered in his ear, his voice low and threatening.

Then he released his neck and Ryker gasped, rubbing at the attacked point. "Sure sorry."

"Now leave me." 

Ryker gave a court nod and hurried out of the cabin. When Viggo was alone again he turned his attention back to the beautiful flowers and couldn't help the memories flashing in his mind.

_"Ouch, Ryker stop doing that, it hurts." Viggo squealed, Ryker had him against the floor of the great hall, punching him in the ribs. _

_"Oh come on, defend yourself! Or are you just good at playing with your silly game figures like a little girly?" he sneered. _

_Viggo squirmed under him, desperate to get away but his brute of a brother was not having that. _

_He brought his fist up again when a hand grasped his, stopping him from the next move. The boy's father was towering above them, a severe look on his face. _

_"Will you two stop this!"_

_Ryker got up quickly and murmured a low "Sorry father." _

_Ragnar sighed and brought his hand to his face._

_"You are brothers you should care for each other do you understand? We are an honorable house and above such savagery. Have I made myself clear?"_

_The boys nodded but kept their heads lowered. Ragnar let his hand run over his beard and sighed again._

_"Good. Now come, I have some exciting news for you. Your mother is giving birth to your sibling right now." _

_Viggo's jaw dropped. He was truly excited to receive another sibling. Finally he would not be the youngest and earn all of his brother's "attention". _

_Ryker remained indifferent as they followed their father through the cold stone corridors to their parents chambers._

_It felt like hours waiting in front of the door, hearing their mother scream and pant in agony. Every now and then a servant was passing with buckets of water and fresh cloths. Viggo's stomach turned slightly as the smell of blood came through the door. _

_Suddenly another sound was added to the voices inside, it was soft at first but became clearer rather quickly. The cry of a newborn. _

_The door opened and Nanna, the villages healer appeared, carrying a little bundle that she handed over to Ragnar. "Congratulations Sir, it's a girl." _

_Ragnar had a look of happiness on his face and Viggo couldn't help but smile too at seeing his father that overjoyed. That was until another servant appeared and whispered something to his father. Ragnar's expression changed immediately. _

_"Here take her for a moment." he shoved the little bundle into Viggo's hands and stormed into the parents bedroom._

_What was going on? _

_"A girl? I would rather have another brother..." Ryker grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Viggo glared at him but knew better than to retort. Better not to listen, what's wrong with him lately? He wondered.  
_

_Cautiously Viggo pulled the cloth away from the bundle and stared down at his baby sisters face. She opened her eyes and whimpered softly. When her bright blue eyes met his, Viggo felt his heart melting. He knew that from this moment on, he would protect her, love her with all of his heart and life. _

_A sobbing sound shook him from his state of awe and Viggo saw his father standing in the doorframe. His eyes were red and swollen. This meant no good, Viggo had never seen him cry before. _

_"Your mother..." he choked out. "She...she didn't make it. Her last wish was to _ _n_ _ame our daughter Lillian..." _

_Tears started to form in Viggo's eyes. Mother was gone. He took a few steps towards his father and tried to hand his sister back to him but Ragnar stumbled backwards and raised his arms. "No! No, keep her away from me!"_

_With that he turned and disappeared into the dark hallway. Ryker let out a strangled sob beside Viggo before he came close to him and little Lillian. He stared down at her with dark and watery eyes. "She killed our mother..."_

_"It was not her fault!" Viggo spat and clutched the baby closer to his chest. Ryker just grunted and followed his father down the hall. _

_Completely heartbroken, Viggo looked back down at his newborn sister and whispered softly to her. "Don't your ever worry Lilly, I will always be there for you, you are and always will be my little flower."_

Viggo brought one hand to his cheek and felt the wetness of his tears. _I am so sorry, I failed you Lilly._


	4. Chapter 3 - What if I was bad?

The wondrous underwater world unfolded before Lilly's eyes as she dove into the crystal blue water. Colorful fish were swimming all around, chasing each other like in a wonderful special dance. Joy filled her heart as she swirled around, reaching out to touch the small creatures but never succeeding, the fish were too fast. It didn't matter though, they were beautiful enough to look at.

_"Come lets swim a bit further I'm in the mood for some high sea fish." _Jali's voice resounded in her head and she turned to face the blue dragon.

"_Alright let's go." _She replied and dove forward to the edge of the reef where the water became a darker shade of blue, leading her into the open ocean. The water seemed groundless below her and Lilly did a roll, sending bubbles to the surface, feeling completely weightless and free.

At the same time Jali was already heading towards a swarm of herrings, catching them with his big mouth.

Smiling, Lilly turned to him when suddenly something glittery caught her attention. Being her curious self, Lilly couldn't possibly resist the opportunity to discover something new. She span around and dove towards the foreign object. What a strange thing it was. It looked like some kind of cage, but one side seemed to be missing.

_"Jali what's this thing?" _She reached out in her mind._  
_

Jali turned to look at the object in question and she could sense him growl "_Evil. It's from the humans, they use it to capture dragons." _

Lilly's eyes widened and she could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears. _"And then they kill them?"_ She asked, already afraid of the answer.

_„Yes, little one – they do."_ Jali said, his voice saddened as he swam closer and nudged her side.

So this was the proof, Shadow an Jali were right, but still Lilly didn't understand...how could someone be so cruel to harm such wonderful creatures?

Lilly was shook from her thoughts when the water above them was suddenly growing darker, a large shadow moving over their heads. She looked up to see a huge form gliding across the surface and frowned.

"_That's a ship! Lilly lets head back home before they notice us. I think I caught enough fish for now, my appetite is ruined anyway." _Jali poked her side urging her to leave but Lilly did not move. Her lips tightened in determination as a reckless idea crossed her mind. She had to see other humans at least once, she needed to know what they were like. And so she ignored Jali's pleas to stay as she swam to the surface.

_"Don't worry Jali, I am way smaller than you! I won't be seen." _She tried to reassure him.

_"No, Lilly! Stop!"_

But it was too late.

Breaking the surface, Lilly came face to face with masses of wooden planks. It was the largest ship she had ever seen in her life, well not that she had seen a lot of ships at all or at least not that she could remember. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with much needed air and swam closer. She could not see onto deck just yet. 

Careful not to splash much, Lilly swam to the stern of the ship and got hold onto the wooden planks. Slowly, she pulled herself upwards, peeking through a small gap at the base of the railing. She caught sight of several men sitting on deck laughing and playing cards while others were pacing around, crossbows in hand, like they were looking for something. Lilly let her gaze wander around when she noticed the sails. They had a strange insignia on it, a red fist surrounded by what seemed to be flames. She tilted her head. Something about it seemed familiar, but it was impossible for her to put her finger on it. Goosebumps rose on her arms and back and an involuntary shudder ran through her. It was like she was freezing although it wasn't cold. What was happening? _  
_

_Maybe this wasn't one of my best ideas. _Lilly thought, turning to jump back into the water when suddenly a man appeared close to her hiding spot. Too close. Lilly grabbed harder onto the wood as her heart started racing, it would only take the man one look down and he would discover her. Still, somehow she couldn't draw her gaze away from him. There was something about him...something that made her heart leap in her chest as if it recalled things that her mind did not. Her palms started to sweat. What was wrong with her?

The man had dark brown, short hair and also hair in his face. Lilly bit her lower lip as she took him in, she hadn't seen another human up that close since she was but a little child. He wore funny things on his body...a black thing that looked like it was meant to be a carapace, like a turtle, but with strange looking spikes protruding his shoulders and waist. 

He stepped closer and took hold onto the railing as he stared into the distance with a hard expression on his face. Lilly held her breath, pressing herself closer to the planks. Still she stayed unnoticed. The man reached into his pocket, retrieving a single white blossom and brushed his thumb over it. Lilly could see the muscles of his jaw work tightly before he emitted a long sigh and let go.

The blossom swirled through the air for a moment, as if it was dancing as it gradually fell deeper and finally landed on the ocean's surface without a single splash. Lilly knitted her brows at the man, pondering his strange action until she heard loud voices coming from the other side of the ship. The man turned to the source of the noise and Lilly saw her chance. 

Without hesitation she let got off the ship and jumped back into the water, splashing slightly in the process. The man spun around, leaned over the railing to look for the cause of that splash but when he found nothing unexpected he shrugged it off.

Lilly waited until his shadow disappeared to break the surface again. She reached out and grabbed the white blossom, eying it in curiosity. She knew that flower, they were growing on her island as well but in multiple colors. Why did this man throw it away?

Lost in thought, Lilly dove under again, taking the blossom with her and she could practically feel Jali's scowl as she returned to his side. _"Are you mad? You almost got yourself caught!" _His voice boomed in her head.

She petted his snout softly, reassuring him that she was alright. _"Don't be mad nothing happened to me now, right?" _

Still annoyed, he blew some warm bubbles from his mouth before they headed back to their island.

The sunset was casting the whole island in a beautiful golden light while Lilly was turning her fish around in the fire on a stick. They were at the beach, the white blossom was lying on a stone beside her. Shadow and Jali were already enjoying a feast of raw fish a few feet away.

Lost deep in thoughts Lilly did not notice Shadow approaching until she felt her head nudging her side softly. Lilly startled a little bit but went to crawl Shadow behind her ear, smiling at her. She gave a soft purr and licked her cheek. _"Whats on your mind little one?"_

_"It's nothing." _Lilly tried to shrug it off, but couldn't help a sideway glance at the blossom.

Shadow gave her a look that meant 'who do think your kidding' and gave an annoyed purr.

Lilly sighed_. "Honestly Shadow, it's nothing .... I was just thinking that ... well what if..." _

Shadow licked her cheek again and sat down before Lilly, her big sapphire orbs locked with hers. "_You know you can tell me anything, so what is bothering your little heart?"_

Lilly nodded slightly before speaking up again. "_Well I was just wondering about the day you found me, I mean there must have been a time where I had a family too. A human family. And now Jali and you are my family, you know I love you with all of my heart but what if I was a bad human too before you __saved me from that fire?__" _

Shadows eyes saddened and she put her head in Lilly's lap, who reached up to stroke her smooth scales. _"Listen to me, you are not evil. Don't think such stupid things. I don't know anything about a family of yours, I'm sorry. But I knew you were special the first time I heard your voice in my head. You're the first human that could understand what I was saying and I could not be happier than to have you here with us. You're my best friend Lilly."_

_"Thank you."_ Lilly choked out, her eyes brimming, and locked her arms around Shadow's neck in a tight hug.

Shadow purred as Lilly pulled away. "_Always."_ Then she gave a toothless smirk and added: "_Wanna go on a night flight?"_

_"Sure." _Lilly beamed at her. 

Shadow jumped up and down in excitement, making her laugh and forgetting her worries and dark thoughts. They said good night to Jali, who paced back into the water and finally took off, gliding through the starry night sky.

Later that night, cuddled up in their nest, Shadow had one wing wrapped around her and Lilly snuggled close to her warm body. That night she dreamed again, but it wasn't the same nightmare about the fire. This dream was different.

_The little girl was running through cold stone corridors, her tiny bare feet tapping on the icy floor and her body trembling from her sobs. The girl stopped in front of a wooden door. It opened with a slight squeak and she sneaked into the room. Suddenly large arms wrapped around her body, lifting her up and pressing her against a warm chest. The contact soothed her almost instantly and the girl drifted into darkness. From far away she could hear a baritone voice humming a strange but beautiful tune._


	5. Chapter 4 - Hiccup in trouble

"What do you think bud, wanna go on a morning flight and try this out?" Hiccup held up the new tail fin he had made and Toothless, being his excited and happy self, knocked him to the ground. Hiccup laughed as he started to lick his face, covering him in dragon saliva.

"Erg, Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out." He shoved the big reptile off of him and Toothless turned his back on him with a huffy growl. Shaking his head, Hiccup chuckled at the moody dragon. "Just kidding bud, now shall we?"

Toothless spun back around, giving his toothless smile and with a chuckle Hiccup put on the new fin before they sneaked out of their hut, being as quiet as possible as to not wake anyone up. Especially not a certain blond viking. Hiccup inwardly sighed as Astrid's face crossed his mind. She would surely kill him if she found out that he went on a recon flight on his own. But that was something he would deal with later, for now he just wanted to take off and clear his head.

Like every morning, Hiccup and Toothless started with their round trip around the edge, then decided to fly further. „Hey bud...I need to get my head free – let's see how far we can get. I've taken provisions with me and who knows...maybe we discover a new dragon along the way, what do you think?" Toothless warbled in agreement as he dove higher into the sky.

After hours of lazy gliding and one stop at a nearby island, Hiccup lied down on Toothless' back and absentmindedly traced his black scales with his fingers, his mind once again wandering to the inevitable.

It's been months since the Viggo _fiasco _and he still had a hard time to come on terms with what had happened. How had he not seen this coming? Why had he been so foolish?

Now the dragon eye was in Viggo's hands, Heather disappeared to Thor knows where and having Astrid keeping secrets from him was another stone plastered to Hiccup's heart. He had always counted on her loyalty only to be taught a better one. What else would she keep from him? Hiccup knew that she didn't mean to cause him harm and she still was one of his best friends and always would be - but still something had changed within him... he just couldn't have being lied to.

And then Viggo. He had never dealt with someone like him before. Hiccup was used to Dagur and his craziness and to brutalized opponents like Alvin or even Ryker. But this man was one of a kind and thinking of him gave Hiccup the chills.

Viggo himself seemed to have disappeared. He and the gang had attacked several hunter ships in the last few weeks but achieved no reaction. It was driving Hiccup nuts, he needed to do something.

"What to you think bud, maybe we find some dragon hunters to question about Viggo?" He spoke up, although more to himself. Toothless gave a disapproving growl and shook his head.

"Yeah you're probably right" Hiccup said staring at the clouds.

The sun was already about to set and he pondered where they could possibly land to make camp when suddenly something caught the attention of Toothless, his ears perked up and he gave a light growl.

Hiccup instantly sat up straight. "I heard it too bud."

The sound of a distressed dragon reached his ears as Hiccup put his metal foot back into the stirrup that controlled the tail. He grabbed the handles of the saddle and leaned forward, letting Toothless take the lead towards the sound.

Soon enough a dragon hunter ship came into view. The hunters on board were tossing and turning at the windlass trying to get a Scauldron on deck. Hiccup furrowed his brows and patted Toothless' neck.

"Let's help this guy!"

Toothless made an affirmative sound and shot down towards the ship.

"Plasma blast now!" Hiccup yelled.

It hit the men working at the windlass, sending their pained screams into the air. The remaining hunters were rushing around, getting their bows and catapults ready to attack. Nevertheless Toothless was too fast and agile to be an easy target. They managed to destroy the net, releasing the captured dragon to its freedom when all of a sudden a dragon root arrow hit Toothless' tail. He began to sway almost instantly, his eyelids fluttering.

"Oh no, stay with me bud! Come on just a little bit further you can do it!" Hiccup was looking around frantically for any sort of land, but there was none - just the deep blue ocean.

Toothless couldn't fight the effect of the dragon root any longer and they crashed into the water, the impact yanking Hiccup out of the saddle as they broke the surface.

Below the surface Lilly cursed under her breath as she tugged at the ropes of the net that entangled Jali, slowly but steadily hauling him upwards. Guilt ate a hole through her stomach, it was her fault Jali got captured, why couldn't she resists to hunt down another human ship? Now her best friend had to pay the price for her recklessness.  


_"It's useless, I'm not strong enough!" _She cried.

_"Keep trying Lilly, please!" _

She couldn't bear his pleading sound, her heart hammered hard against her ribcage as she started to panic.

But then, right when she thought all hope was lost - Lilly heard the strange but familiar sound of a plasma blast. A Night Fury! Had Shadow come? But how could she be here in time?

Lilly was torn from her thoughts as she realized the strings of the net loosened and Jali was free again. She hugged his slim neck. _"Jali, oh thank the gods!" _

The dragon nudged her softly when Lilly suddenly heard a splashing sound a few feet away. Instantly, she turned to see a black dragon crashing into the water - an arrow sticking out from its tail. The dragon was obviously unconscious and sinking quickly.

**Hiccup's POV**

The impact of the crash brought me down deeper than I was used to. My clothes were soaked within seconds, adding weight to fight against and inevitably dragging me down. It was a struggle to get back to the surface and the feeling of dread coiling in my stomach didn't help either.

I knew that I couldn't keep up with this for a very long time, my prosthetic was making it far too difficult to swim long distances. I kicked desperately, body and mind silently screaming for the air that I desperately needed. Finally, I managed to get myself to the surface, where I frantically gasped for air. Large waves tossed me around in the water and I struggled to stay on the surface, my eyes scanning the sea in desperate fear for my dragon friend. He was unconscious. He would drown if I couldn't reach him. Oh why...why was I so stupid to fly off on my own? Strength was leaving me – a whole day of flying had left my limbs stiff.

"Toothless!" I cried out, before another wave plunged me under.

I struggled to swim up again as the swirling water tossed and turned me around but I couldn't make out where the surface was.

Was I swimming up or down – left or right?

My head was pounding, every cell in my body was screaming for oxygen. I kept fighting until I felt like my lungs were about to explode, I had to take a breath.

So I did.

Instead of life bringing oxygen, water rushed in. It didn't hurt like I expected it to and all fear left me. I was almost peaceful when I began sink further and further.

This was it. This was the end.

If I could only see Toothless one more time. My eyes fluttered shut. But just before that I thought that I glimpsed something. A blurry figure gliding in the water above me. Slender fingers grabbing my armour. Blue eyes...a flash of red. A Valkyrie perhaps...perhaps the gods had mercy and opened the doors of Valhalla for me...

It was my last thought before I surrendered to the darkness.

**Lilly's POV**

_"Jali get the dragon!" _

Jali sped forward diving after the black dragon when something else caught my eye, there was another form thrashing about in the water. I swam closer and my heart almost stopped its beating.

A human!

Quickly I dove towards the struggling person as I watched it sinking. From what I could see it was one of the male ones. His mouth dropped open in a desperate attempt to breathe and then his body went slack. Shadow's voice resounded in my mind. Humans are evil...they bring nothing but misery to dragons. Maybe she was right...maybe I should just...

No.

No I could not do that. This human needed my help - I couldn't let him die.

Pushing Shadow's words aside I took a speed-dive forward and got hold of a piece of the humans strange brown carapace. Green eyes flickered at me for one second before they fell shut, his body was completely limp when I brought us to the surface.

_"Jali!" _I cried out as soon as my head was out of the water.

A few seconds later he appeared right next to me, holding an unconscious Night Fury by the neck in his mouth.

"_Can you carry us all to the island?" _

He purred in agreement and pointed me to get on his back. I brought myself up, placing the human in my lap as Jali headed back to our island as fast as he could. _„Jali his face is so pale...and he doesn't breathe...what do I do?" _

_„Maybe it's for the better if we let him..."_

_„Jali!"_ I cut him off. _„I think this human saved us, he and this dragon...we can't just let him die..."_

_„Alright, alright...I've seen other humans do this before..."_

_„Just tell me Jali please."_ I pleaded.

_„Squeeze his nose and breathe your breath into his mouth."_

_What?_

I tilted my head and stared down at the unconscious human. His lips were slightly parted but no breath left them. My forehead wrinkled in concentration as my fingers found his chin and carefully pushed it down to open his mouth for me. _„And this works?" _

_„I have no idea..." _

_„Well if other humans do it..."_ I said with a shrug and brought my mouth down to the humans and blew, just like I would to stoke a fire. I didn't pull away until I was running out of breath myself but when I did the human looked just as before. I licked my lips, tasting salt and tried again.

_„It's not working..."_ I cried out after the third fruitless attempt.

_„Just keep trying – it's all you can do." _

I squeezed his nose one more time and brought my mouth to his, blowing as much as I could. Suddenly the human jerked in my lap and I yelped. He turned his head and spit up splashes of salty water before his spitting turned into a violent cough. For one short moment his green eyes met mine, before he passed out once again.


	6. Chapter 5 - The mysterious girl

**Hiccup's POV**

Gasping heavily for air I bolted upright only to feel sick. I leaned over an threw up whatever was left in my stomach. My whole body ached and my throat felt sore. Groaning, I tried to get into a sitting position, but felt a pressure on my chest putting me back down. Through blurry vision, I could make out the form of a young woman bending over me.

"Drink."

Something, what seemed to be a big seashell, was held in front of my mouth. I complied thankfully.

The drink tasted bitter, but it felt soothing to the soreness in my throat. After blinking several times, the vision of the girl became clearer. She seemed to be around my age, her ocean blue eyes looked at me with a spark of curiosity and long copper curls framed her face.

_What's going on? Where's Toothless? _

I was about to say something, but she stopped me by placing her fingers on my lips. "Shh... Now you sleep."

Exhaustion overtook me once again and I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

**Lilly's POV**

Speaking in human tongue felt strange to me, at least I haven't talked to another human for years.

I watched the human, Shadow called him a boy, fall back asleep. _Good, he needs to rest. The herbs will help him getting better. _

Placing the seashell back down beside me, I decided to have a closer look at the strange scaled thing the boy wore. Maybe I could remove it...this couldn't be comfortable. Determined not to wake him, I settled myself beside him on my knees and reached out to touch the biggest brown strap that went around his waist. It took me quite some time of fiddling around until it finally came undone. Piece by piece I removed the odd carapace and put it aside, leaving the boy in his red piece of clothing. I touched the fabric. It was softer and probably more comfortable than the rest had been. So I left it be.

I leaned back and watched the boy in wonder. Auburn wisps of hair hang in his face, he had two braided strands at the back of his head. His freckled face looked peaceful now, one of his hands rested on his chest.

I reached out and grabbed his hand, placing the palm of it against my own in curiosity - his hand was bigger than mine. My heart skipped a beat as he stirred in his sleep and I quickly put his hand back down. He mumbled incoherent words and his head dropped to the side. Luckily he didn't wake up. When I was certain he was fast asleep again, I bent over to touch his braids, they felt hard although his hair was soft. Doing what Shadow did with me when she brought me to her island, I leaned in closer to sniff at his hair, face and finally clothes. He smelled of sea water, the brown material of his carapace and something else...something I couldn't put my finger on. Pushing myself back up I let my gaze travel lower.

Something _strange_ was hanging from his left leg.

I tilted my head and frowned as I crawled down to sit at his feet and touched the cold, silver material. A gasp left my mouth as I realized what it replaced. _He's missing a foot? _

My eyes wide in wonder I continued to examine the boy but just as I was about to peek into his pants, Shadow's voice startled me back to reality.

"_Lilly come __quickly!__ I think he wakes up!" _She sounded distressed.

_"I'm coming." _I replied and jumped down from our nest, heading towards the clearing right under it where the other Night Fury slept.

Shadow paced around him in circles as she saw me coming. She was not happy at all that I brought a human to our island. Growling lowly she spoke up again.

"_Have you seen what this human __boy __has done to this __beautiful__ Night __Fu__ry? He made him a cripple! __Look __at his tail! You should have left him to his fate." _

I frowned, looking at the torn tail of the other dragon but couldn't help the tiny grin that spread on my face. "_Did you just call him __beautiful__?"_

Shadow lowered her head in embarrassment and puffed in my direction. _"Stop talking nonsense!" _she exclaimed. I laughed out loud which only earned me another glare from Shadow.

The Night Fury's eyes fluttered open and he made a soft groaning noise. Shadow almost jumped and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing again.

„_Wh-what...? Where am I?" _The dragon's voice was still weak. His head darted up and his eyes went wide as saucers as he took in the sight of Shadow. She lowered her head and shifted uncomfortably under his intense stare.

I took a small step towards the dragon._ „You're on our island...you almost drowned."_

The Night Fury's head turned to face me, his eyes scanning every inch of the clearing in shock as the passed events came rushing back into his mind. _„Where is he?! What have you done to Hiccup?!" _He growled.

„_Hiccup? You mean the human boy?" _I asked.

„_He's my friend! What have you done?" _

Taken aback, I crossed my arms in front of my chest._ „I have done nothing! Jali and I saved you both, now he's sleeping in my nest." _

„_You saved us?" _The Night Fury blinked, then his eyes wandered to his bandaged tail and he purred._ „I'm sorry...I shouldn't have been that harsh..." _

I walked up to him and petted his snout. "It's alright. _Are you feeling better?" _

He nodded. _"__Why can you understand what I'm saying?"_

„_I don't know." _I shrugged._ „Shadow thinks I was born like this. I belong to dragons." _

_"__Perhaps she's right__." _He purred and looked at Shadow, his green eyes once again grew wide as he took her in. They both stared at each other for the longest time and I started to feel awkward just standing here.

"_Alright...I guess I let you two talk a little bit. __I feel dry."_ I headed off to the beach. I needed a swim.

_So his name is Hiccup._

**Hiccup's POV**

I woke up again, my body feeling much better and took in my surroundings. I laid in what seemed to be a big nest high atop of a tree, my armour was lying beside me. _Did she take that off? _I wondered. _I need to find Toothless. _

Looking down the tree I tried to climb down carefully and slipped two times, my prosthetic losing hold on the smooth tree trunk. Losing my balance I fell and landed on my butt. _Ouch. How did she manage to bring me up there?_

"Toothless?" I called out getting to my feet.

A rustle behind my back had me spinning round, my guard up. _"Woah! Toothless - you're okay!" _I laughed as the big black reptile had me pinned down on the ground.

He purred happily and started licking me all over. "Ew! Toothless stop it! You know that doesn't wash out!"

Toothless let go off me and jumped up and down in front of me. He seemed super excited. "What is it bud? Have you seen the girl?"

He nodded.

"I guess we have to say thank you for saving us."

Toothless rolled his eyes impatiently and started dragging me forward through the bushes.

"Alright bud, I'm coming." I laughed.

We stopped at a clearing and as I looked up I took in a loud gasp. "Oh my gods! Toothless, is this?! You...you are not the only one!"

Toothless purred happily and jumped to the other dragon who eyed me with great suspicion. It looked exactly like Toothless unless it was a little bit smaller and the dragon had blue eyes. _A female, oh Thor this is unbelievable. _

I was beyond excited and stepped over to the dragon, carefully stretching my hand out. I was only inches apart from the Night Fury who was growling lightly. Toothless purred, as if telling the other dragon that I meant no harm. Finally, I felt her snout touch my palm.

Smiling I looked around for the mysterious girl but she was no where to be seen. _Where is she?_

I decided to look out for her, leaving the two dragons be. As I reached the beach, I finally saw her. There she was, sitting at the shore, playing with a small serpent sea-star that crawled over her spread fingers. Her long hair was shimmering like red gold in the sunlight, cascading down in curly waves over her back and bare chest. Heat crept up the back of my neck as realization hit me. She was not wearing anything but a beige kilt around her waist. Swallowing thickly I stepped out of the shadows of the trees and that was when she noticed me.

Her face lit up like the sun itself and she hurried to put the sea-star back into the water before she ran up to me. Her hair flew behind her and I felt my mouth go dry – she was beautiful. _Wait...what am I thinking?_

"Hiccup you feel better?" She stood right before me now, blue eyes sparkling and the sweetest smile on her lips.

My face felt as if it was burning. I gulped and cleared my throat, trying my best look into her eyes and only her eyes. "Y-yeah... wait how do you know my name?" _Now that's confusing._

She shrugged_._ "Toothless told me."

"Oh Toothless told you ... wait...what? What do you mean he told you, he cannot talk like... you know... like real people.." I was stammering. _What in the name of Thor is going on here? _

She giggled and placed one of her hands on my forehead. I blushed.

„I hear him talking...here." She pointed to her head.

Bewildered, I stared at her like a fool for several moments. How is this even possible?

"You mean you can talk to dragons? In your mind?"

She nodded and smiled again. Oh that smile was killing me. Feeling completely flabbergasted, I must have zoned out for a few minutes as her expression turned to a hurt one at my lack of reaction.

"You don't believe..." She whispered.

That shook me back to reality. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Oh no, no I think thats actually pretty amazing. It's just hard to understand...you're the first one I ever met being able to _talk_ with dragons."

Her joyful smile was back again and I couldn't help but to return it. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Lilly." She beamed up at me.

"How long have you lived here Lilly? And do you know that there's a Night Fury on your island?"

There was so much I wanted to know, so much I could discover both about her and the other Night Fury but before I could even continue Lilly shushed me again by putting her fingers to my lips. I felt heat crawl up my skin at the sudden contact.

"Shh ... no talking, just swimming."

With that she took my hand in hers and dragged me to the shore. I panicked lightly. "Uhm Lilly, I can't swim very well, my prosthetic is making it difficult."

Lilly turned around and looked down to my metal leg then back to my eyes again. "You take it off and hold my hand ... I show you."

I sighed. "Alright."

She smiled happily and bent down, starting to bring my pants up to my knees. Her boldness startled me and I stared at her like a dork for a moment, blushing madly.

"W-wait, Lilly let me do that, I'm used to it and will be faster." I managed to stammer.

She nodded and stepped back, watching me intently. _Oh Thor, has she never seen another person? Well probably not. _

I decided to remove my tunic as well and placed it on the sand next to my prosthetic. Lilly laughed and grabbed me by the hand, supporting me as we splashed into the crystal sea.


	7. Chapter 6 - Grimborn, who's that?

Swimming with Lilly was a whole new experience for Hiccup. The water around him was crystal clear, he could see starfish, crabs and an amazing variety of colorful fish darting in and out of the reef.

Lilly held his hand, guiding him through this underwater paradise but eventually he needed to emerge to catch his breath. Lilly however remained underwater and after a few more moments of waiting Hiccup started to worry. "Lilly?"

Nothing.

He plunged underwater again and looked around, but she was gone.

"Lilly!?" He cried out as his head popped to the surface again.

"Yes?"

Breathing heavily Hiccup turned around to find Lilly staring back at him, a radiant smile on her face and unlike him breathing evenly as if she hadn't been diving at all. "How...how do you do that? You hold your breath forever!"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I just swim. Come, we get out now - almost time for dinner."

Hiccup frowned but didn't get the chance to press further as Lilly once more disappeared into the water with a splash. Gentle waves rocked him back and forth as he stared at the bubbles popping on the surface where Lilly went under and it took him several heartbeats to shake out of it. Hiccup emitted a long sigh. Eventually he would discover Lilly's secret, there had to some explanation for the way she was. People were not supposed to hear the voices of dragons in their mind and they certainly weren't supposed to be able to dive like she did. Deep in thought, he followed Lilly back to the shore.

She was already sitting at the beach, her arms stretched out behind her and enjoying the warm evening sun when Hiccup crawled out of the water. His prosthetic and tunic lay right where he had left them and it took him only a minute to adjust it again. He decided to keep his boot off though, the sand under his toes was warm and soft and he quite enjoyed that feeling. He tugged at his wet pants to hide where his prosthetic was connected to his stump, picked up his tunic and turned back to Lilly. The setting sun bathed her in golden light and Hiccup's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her eyes were closed, a small smile was playing around her lips, her red curls billowed in the warm ocean's breeze, hiding absolutely nothing, tiny drops of water trailed down her neck and shoulders and lower...

Hiccup was flooded with a sudden heat and quickly averted his eyes. He should not look at those parts of her but gods it almost was like he couldn't help himself. He had never seen a woman's bare chest before and what made it even worse was that Lilly was just sitting there, stretched out like this and completely oblivious of the effect she had on him. His grip around his tunic tightened as the heat rushed lower. His pants suddenly seemed too tight and it wasn't because they were wet. _Oh no. _  
No, no, this could not be happening. He could not let Lilly see him like this, what would she think of him? His mind was reeling as he thought of a way out of this...maybe if Lilly could just cover herself...

Swallowing thickly, Hiccup closed the distance and sat down beside her, taking care to cover his crotch with his arms. He cleared his throat before he spoke, wishing that his voice sounded steadier.

„Uh...Lilly?"

„Hmm?" She opened her eyes, turned to face him and Hiccup's heart skipped a beat.

„Uh...I wondered if...uh..." He stammered, cheeks burning. Lilly tilted her head at him, her forehead creasing slightly as she waited for him to speak. He cleared his throat and tried again. „Would you mind putting on my tunic?"

Her eyes grew wide as she inspected the red piece of garment he held out for her. „Why?"

Hiccup shifted a little, his free hand reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck. „Well...uh...I don't want you to get cold."

Lilly laughed brightly and let herself drop onto her back, burying her hands in the warm sand. „But it's not cold – feel the sand – it's warm."

A high-pitched sound left Hiccup's mouth, then he was rubbing at the back of his neck again, feeling sweat there. All the while he kept his eyes fixated on the horizon, avoiding to look at the strange young woman beside him. "Yeah...right...it's warm..." He stammered. "Oh, by the love of Thor how am I gonna say this..."

"Say what?"

"That...you know...you're a woman and...and usually women don't walk around without a shirt."

"No?"

"No."

"But why?" Lilly asked, her eyes glimmering with curiosity as she sat up again. Her hair cascading over her front, covering her chest and Hiccup let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

„Because that's how it is...civilization has its rules you know? And where I come from people wear lots of layers of clothes. Mainly because my homeland is located only a few degrees south from freezing to death..." He laughed a little. "...but also, because its considered inappropriate to walk around almost naked."

"So, humans don't like it if I don't wear tunic?"

Hiccup gave a half-shrug. "Yeah...that's it, they don't like it." That was only the half-truth. A shudder ran through him as he thought of what most men would do with Lilly if they found her barely dressed, of how dangerous this could turn out for her – but how was he supposed to explain the pure evilness of human kind to her? She didn't even know what it was like to live among other people.

Lilly sucked her lower lip in, pondering his words for a moment before she took the tunic from him and slipped it over her head. It was a little too big for her, hugging her body loosely like a tent. Once she was done, she beamed up at him.

"Now I look like civilization."

Hiccup chuckled and Lilly laughed. Her carefree happiness was infectious and so Hiccup forgot his awkwardness for the time being. Grabbing her right arm, he leaned in closer and maneuvered it into the sleeve. "You need to put your arms in here." He repeated the action with her other arm and leaned back to take her in. "It suits you." He muttered as their eyes met and for a moment he got lost in the deep blue. Lilly's gaze was an equal mix of curiosity, wonderment and something else that he couldn't put his finger on. Hiccup suddenly became very aware of the proximity of her body, how her hair tickled his shoulder, how his skin was tingling were their legs touched. He cleared his throat and inched slightly back. For a moment Lilly looked like she would protest but before Hiccup could tell for sure, the expression was gone.

"So, you live here all alone with the Night Fury?" He began, trying to lift whatever tension there was between them.

"Shadow."

"Hmm?"

"Her name is Shadow." Lilly said, her voice quieter than before.

"Oh." Hiccup buried his toes into the sand and settled back on his lower arms before he spoke again. "And is there anybody else? Anyone who looks after you?"

Lilly let her eyes wander to the horizon and smiled. "Jali."

The name came out of her mouth with such adoration that Hiccup felt his mood fall. So there was someone else beside the Night Fury. Of course she wouldn't live out here all by herself. "And where is he?" He asked, a bit harsher than he intended to, but if Lilly noticed, she did not show it. She just kept staring out at the open sea and sighed.

"Jali likes swimming far away but he comes back to island."

"So uh... is this Jali guy you're boyfriend... or something?" Hiccup scratched the back of his neck as Lilly turned to meet his gaze. She tilted her head in confusion.

"Boy-friend? Jali is boy and friend...but you mean something different?"

His eyes grew wide. "You don't know what a boyfr... but well of course you don't...you probably lived here for a very long time almost by yourself... well what I mean is, are you and this Jali guy together like, oh Thor... do you sleep in your nest with him?"

What he just said apparently was the funniest thing ever cause in the next second Lilly burst out laughing. "Jali sleeping in nest ...." She pressed out between her giggles and Hiccup awkwardly laughed along as he watched Lilly wiggle under her laughing fit. A different kind of heat flushed through his system and his cheeks grew red in embarrassment. _Oh Thor why do I keep making a complete fool out of myself? _

After a few minutes that felt like hours to him, Lilly regained her composure and smiled sweetly. Without a word, she pushed herself up and stepped into the water. There she closed her eyes and stood very still. _What is she doing?_

Hiccup was about to ask her when he heard a bubbling sound coming from the ocean. Right then a big Scauldron splashed out of the water, towering over Lilly. Hiccup sprang to his feet, ready to call out to Lilly to be careful but she only smiled and stroked over the scales on the dragons neck.

"Hiccup, meet Jali." She said as she turned to face him.

Hiccup's jaw dropped.

_A dragon, of course it's a dragon. What was I even thinking?  
_

The big blue dragon made a purring sound as he ventured closer, bringing his head down to Hiccup's eye-level to get a better view of him. Hiccup gulped, Scauldron's had the reputation to be untrainable after all, but if Lilly was allowed to stroke him...maybe he could try. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup stretched his hand out to see if the dragon would let him pet his snout. He did.

Lilly walked up to him, laughing brightly. Her eyes were sparkling with joy. But Jali on the other hand didn't seem to feel very well, he started to gag a few times before he spit a big load of fish right in front of Hiccup's feet. He jumped.

"Urgh! Well thank you very much you big reptile._.._what was that for?"

Lilly laughed again while she picked up a silver scaled fish and shoved it into Hiccup's hands.

"I told you - time for dinner." She beamed.

**Hiccup's POV**   


The starry night sky above us, I sat next to Lilly, our fish roasting above the fire. We had been talking for hours now, while our dragons feasted on the remaining raw fish. Toothless seemed to be very content spending time with Shadow. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them chase each other on the night beach.

"And what's this?"

Lilly had pulled the spyglass out of my satchel and her forehead was creased into a concentrated frown as she inspected it with great interest. I chuckled at the sight of her, to watch her getting excited over even the smallest things was delightful.

"It's called a spyglass. You have to look through it to see things, that are far away, up close."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, bringing the spyglass to her eye with the broad side. "It doesn't work - you are far away."

"No, no, you got it upside down - here, see?" I explained as I turned the object around for her.

Lilly looked at me through the spyglass and giggled. "You got sand on your nose."

I rolled my eyes at her but joined into her laughter as I brushed the sand of my face. "Very funny Lilly." I chuckled and she stuck out her tongue at me before she dropped the spyglass and eagerly went through my bag once more.

"Oh, I know what this is!" She exclaimed when she retrieved the next object. "It's like the thing hanging from your leg."

"It's a spare...you know if I end up ruining my prosthetic, I got another one."

Lilly nodded, then retrieved another prosthetic leg.

"Ah yes...and that's the spare of my spare..." I chuckled, rubbing at the back of my neck and Lilly giggled.

"You like spares."

"I like to be prepared...you never know what might happen, right bud?" Toothless and Shadow had come over to us and Toothless rumbled in agreement as I petted his head. "There's also a spare tailfin in there...ah you found it."

"For Toothless..." Lilly said as she pulled the tailfin open and closed, holding it out for Shadow to see. "...look Shadow."

The female Night Fury sniffed at said object and snorted before she curled herself up next to the fire. "Don't be moody, I know you like Toothless." Lilly giggled only to earn a slap of Shadow's tail across her head, but that only had her giggling louder. Toothless and I shared a glance and I smiled. I could still hardly wrap my mind around the fact that we found another Night Fury and to see her and Lilly share a bond that seemed to be as strong as mine and Toothless' was even more wonderful.

Lilly put the tailfin down, came over to sit at my side. "Tell me more - how is it to live in civilization...I wanna know everything..."

"Alright, but that's gonna take a while." I replied, smiling. Being here, talking to Lilly, felt so natural, as if I knew her for a very long time and so I told her everything about my friends, my father, that I never knew my mother about how I shot down Toothless and how we became best friends and I told her about dragons edge and our adventures.

"Oh, I'd like to see that one day." She sighed and lied down on the sand. I joined her before speaking up again.

"You should come with me. I'm sure you would love the gang, although they're a bit crazy sometimes." I chuckled, thinking of the twins.

Her eyes lit up with excitement at this and I added, more to myself than anyone else. "Right now I hope the Grimborn's don't show up anytime soon."

She frowned and just for a moment I thought I saw something flicker up in her eyes but whatever it was, it vanished before I could truly make it out.

"Grimborn?" She let the name roll from her tongue, "Who is that?"

I sighed. "Dragon hunters. Me and my friends...we fight them."

Lilly frowned again, got up and clenched her hands to fists. "Dragon hunters are evil."

With that she turned around and disappeared into the dark woods behind us.

Startled, I stared between the dark trees where Lilly had disappeared. Toothless nudged my side, made a worried sound. "Yeah, I am confused too bud...maybe she knows more about the hunters than we think. We should go and find her." With that I jumped onto Toothless' back and we headed back to Lilly's clearing.

**Lilly's POV**

I tossed and turned around in the nest, but could not find any sleep. That strange name was haunting me. _What does that mean? Grimborn. I feel like I heard it before but that's impossible or isn't it? _I looked over my shoulder to find Hiccup lying next to me, he had his back turned to me and his breathing was even. He was fast asleep. Listening to his steady breath, sleep finally overtook me as well.

_Lying on a furry rug on a wooden floor I stared up at the ceiling, barely listening to the monotonous sound of a male voice reading out the names of different dragon species. _

_My eyes traveled around the room and stopped at the sight of a teenage boy with dark brown hair and eyes, sitting in a large wooden chair. He winked at me, rolled his eyes at the elder and I giggled. _

_The boy put a finger to his lips and beckoned me to follow him. As the elder had his back turned to us we sneaked out of the room. The boy took my hand in his and we spurted down the stone corridors, our laughters echoing from the stone walls. _

_"Gods I thought would fall asleep right in there, Magnus voice is so slumbering. And it's not like I wouldn't know all that dragons already. Shall I take you for a ride?" He grinned at me widely and I laughed again. "Well, come on then little flower." _

_Reaching the stables he put me in front of him on the back of a white horse and we started our tour around the village. After a while we stopped at a market, with all sorts of different objects and clothes made of smooth material. _

_"See little flower, this is what we do with the skin of dragons, it's very useful and each dragon has a different sort of scale to use for different purposes. We even get our medicine from them." He said pointing to the different stalls selling objects made of dragon parts. I shivered. _

_"I don' want to ever kill a dragon, it's cruel...they are my friends..." I insisted looking up at the boys face. _

_He stroked my cheek and smiled softly. "We take what we need from the dragons, it's what our tribe has done for centuries. Don't worry little flower, one day you will be ready. It's in you're blood. As I am. _ _We are part of each other."_


	8. Chapter 7 - Stupid feelings

A nudge to his ribs had Hiccup jerk awake. His eyes flew open and for a second he found himself confused as to where he was. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of the tree he was in and he shivered, wrapping his arms around his body to find that his tunic was missing. A distressed sound drew to his ear, followed by another bump into his ribs and Hiccup turned around. Right. This was Lilly, she saved him and now he was sleeping in her nest. A small smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the wonderful day he spent with her but it quickly faltered as he watched her tremble and whimper, the occasional "No..." slipping past her lips. 

Hiccup's heart sank at seeing her like this, so unlike the happy, carefree girl he had met only hours ago. Whatever she was dreaming of must surely be a nightmare. Should he wake her? Worrying his lower lip, he reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Shh, hey it's alright. It's just a dream." He whispered, shaking her gently.

Slowly Lilly's eyes opened, she blinked, closed them and blinked again. "Wh-what...Hiccup?" She breathed out, confused and Hiccup could see her try to calm her breathing.

"You were crying out...did you have a bad dream?"

Lilly sat up, shaking her head. "I...I don't know...it..." She paused, bit her lower lip, her eyes brimming. "I don't hurt dragons..." Her jaw worked tightly around the words and Hiccup watched her tremble. He shook his head, inched closer to her.

"I never thought you would. You should try to go back to sleep. Come here." He wrapped one arm around her back and pulled Lilly down with him so that her head came to rest on his chest. The intimacy of their position sent a pleasant tingle through his body and he was thankful for the darkness, that way Lilly wouldn't see him blush. She felt warm and soft and Hiccup could smell the sea on her mixed with the scent of the many flowers that grew on the island and something else that he couldn't place - that was just Lilly. His fingers rubbed over her arm of their own accord and he heard Lilly whisper into the darkness. "Thank you."

Eventually the both of them drifted back to sleep.

At sunrise, Hiccup woke again, this time not shivering but rather the opposite. Lilly's body rested snugly against his own, her backside pressed right against his crotch while his arm was still wrapped around her middle, touching her bare skin as his tunic must have slid upwards during sleep. Heat curled down his spine as his body came to attention at the proximity of her and he quickly drew his hand away from her as if he got burned. Lilly made a small sound in her sleep that sounded suspiciously close to _Hiccup_ and said youth had to bite his lower lip to keep himself from letting out a groan at the sound of it. Fuck, this was bad. Nothing worse than her wakinrg up to find him in this condition. How should he even explain?

Deciding that he needed to be dunked in cold water, Hiccup pushed himself up slowly, cautious not to make any noise while climbing down the tree.

Toothless raised his head as Hiccup's foot touched the ground. He and Shadow were sleeping below the tree, cuddled together and Hiccup couldn't help but smile at the sight. Toothless made a questioning sound and Hiccup shrugged, mouthing "I need a bath." The Night Fury tilted his head but didn't bother to follow his rider as he made his way over to the small lake in the middle of the clearing.

Hiccup hurried to strip out of his pants before he carefully stepped into the water, trying his best to hold onto the smooth rocks that surrounded the lake. He left his prosthetic on this time, he didn't want to trip and draw Lilly's attention to him. He submerged himself waist deep into the water and looked down.

"Oh, come on..." He had hoped that his erection would die upon touching the cool water but that was not the case. His brain was too busy providing him with pictures of Lilly, how warm her body felt against his, how single drops of water trailed down her bare chest. If anything these pictures invaded his brain, shutting out all other thoughts. It wouldn't go away on its own.

Hiccup bit his lip, trying to hold in a groan as he touched himself. His head fell back against the smooth rock and he closed his eyes, imagining what it would feel like to touch her breasts and what sounds she would make at that. He stroked himself harder, letting out a moan that he hadn't meant to.

Oh gods, what if Lilly woke up to find him like this?

He flushed but somehow that thought only heightened his arousal and Hiccup panted out hard breaths as he kept pumping himself fervently. It didn't take long until he came and he whined with it, biting into the knuckles of his other hand to hold in a moan of Lilly's name. Sweat dripped from his brow as he sat there panting, waiting for his body to calm down before he cleaned himself up and stepped out of the lake to get dressed. At least he felt relaxed now.

It didn't last long though.

He was just pulling his pants back up when he heard Lilly call out for him.

"Hiccup! Hiccup?!" There was a thud, the sound of footsteps coming closer and in the next moment Lilly was rushing up to him. Her hair was tousled and her eyes wide. Hiccup frowned as he moved to meet her halfway.

"Lilly, what's up?"

She glanced around nervously. "People... riding on dragons....they soon will find the island. You have to go, now."

"What, but why?" Hiccup stared at her in shock for a moment. "If those people are riding dragons then it must be my friends. I thought you would like to come with me? And... and how do you know they're coming anyway? You were asleep..."

"Jali." She whispered, a sad look on her face "I would love to come but Shadow says it's not safe - no more people."

"But..."

A thump sounded from the distant shore, cutting Hiccup off before he could form a sentence and soon enough he could make out the sound of footsteps coming closer and voices calling out his name.

Lilly's eyes widened and she looked panicked, she spun around and rushed into the forest. Shadow followed her in an instant, leaving a very puzzled looking Toothless behind. He made a confused sound as he jumped to Hiccup's side.

"Lilly wait!" Hiccup cried out, about to jump on Toothless' back and head after Lilly when he heard his name being called right behind him.

"Hiccup! You're alive!"

He turned around to see Astrid was running up to him. Feeling nervous, he scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh... hi Astrid, uh hi guys." He gave a slight wave but ended up groaning in pain, when he was suddenly punched into his ribs. "Ouch! Whoa, Astrid, what was that for?"

The blonde's face was red with fury, her nostrils flaring. "What were you thinking? Did you really believe you could sneak from the edge without telling anyone of us? And then you got the nerves to not show up for two days!? We were worried sick! And here you are perfect safe and sound on an island and have built yourself a little camp! Are you serious Hiccup?!"

"Yeah sneaking off to vacation in paradise without telling us, not cool Hiccup, uh uh, not cool." Tuffnut was shaking his head slightly, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"But this place really is awesome, look at this!" Ruffnut was picking up the big seashell Lilly used as a cup, before smashing it on her brothers head. Tuffnut cried out and Ruffnut snickered.

"Oh, I could get used to this place." Snotlout exclaimed, taking in the surroundings. "You seem to enjoy yourself here, huh Hiccup? Did we interrupt your plans for another day off?"

"Wait! What? No guys, you don't understand." Hiccup raised his arms in defense. "Toothless and I went on a recon flight, but got shot down by dragon hunters when we tried to save a Scauldron. We almost drowned... but there was a girl...she rescued me and..." He tried to explain, but Snotlout cut him off. 

"You think we believe that? A girl just showed up out of nowhere in the big blue ocean, oh yeah right Hiccup was saved by a little mermaid." He snorted, his arms crossed tightly around his chest.

"Oh Thor! It's not like that, she is ... different. You have to meet her and you'll understand." Hiccup pinched at the bridge of his nose in frustration. 

"Saying we believe you, where is the girl now?" said Astrid.

Hiccup sighed heavily. "She ran off into the forest... she was scared of you coming to her island."

"Well I guess we have to find her then."


	9. Chapter 8 -  Ryker and mead

**Viggo's POV**

_I walked along a path in the forest. Above my head a few fragments of blue sky peeked trough the shelter of mighty trees. The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and earth. I could hear a faint sound in the distance and slowly approached to it. _

_Soon I was standing in the middle of a clearing, covered with the richest amount of beautiful flowers. Their sweet smell hung thick in the air. The sound was clearer now, I could make out that it was someone laughing. Shielding my eyes from the sudden sunlight I took one final step._

_ There she was, dressed in a light blue gown. Her red curls spread around her head as she lied on the grass and laughed to herself. _

_My heart started to race as I stepped closer and I couldn't fight the smile spreading on my lips for seeing her that happy._

_Then she saw me. She sat up and a broad grin spread on her face. She giggled and waved to me._

_She looked so young._

_So innocent. _

_A deep urge to put her into my arms overcame me, but just as I took another step towards her, the sky started to darken and the happy expression on her face was fading to an expression of deadly fear._

_ Suddenly the floor that once was soft grass turned into pitch black water and I saw her sinking. She flailed her arms, struggling to swim and screamed for me to help her. The sound of her desperate little voice almost caused my heart to break._

_I struggled to get to her, but I couldn't. My legs felt like they were frozen to the ground._

_I screamed and tried to swim to her. Panic took hold of my body. My hands grew black wherever I touched the liquid. _

_Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, I could move and rushed to her. Dragging her body up, I turned her around to see - her cold dead eyes staring back._

Panting heavily I shot up from this nightmare that haunted me over and over again. My whole body was covered in sweat. I put my face in my hands hearing my heartbeat hammering in my ears.

The feeling of guilt was too much for me to bear, sooner or later it would surely kill me.

But if it wasn't for me, she would have never been on this godsdamn ship, if it wasn't for me she would be still alive.

The call of my brother's voice from outside brought me back to reality. We had to rate some dragons we wanted to sell at the upcoming auction.

I got dressed and before I stepped out of my tent, I made sure that no expression showed on my face.

I was functioning again as I always was.

**Ryker's** **POV**

_He must have had a nightmare again._ I mused as Viggo walked out of his tent. The circles around his eyes seemed to be darker than in a long time.

We walked together in silence till we reached the mooring of the ships that brought in a new load of captured dragons.

One by one Viggo would examine and rate if the beast was valuable enough to be sold or not. If it was not, well then we could still get some use out of the beast, even if it was for making ragout.

As we reached a cage containing a green monstrous nightmare one of our hunters stepped up to us. "Chief Grimborn, trader Johann is here. He says he would like to have a word with you."

Viggo nodded him off and I followed him to the ship of the trader, who was kneading his fingers nervously as we approached him.

"Trader Johann, what gives us the pleasure of your visit?" Viggo asked, his voice indifferent.

I crossed my arms and came to a halt a my brother's side. Trader Johann chanced a glance at me and I noticed him gulp. Obviously I was intimidating the annoying trader. Good.

I grinned.

"W-well Master Grimborn..." he stammered out. "I just sailed by your camp and thought it would be a wonderful possibility to offer you some of my goods and start a trading relationship...maybe? I have a whole new load of the finest oils or furs. Please feel free to have a look. I am sure you would find something of your interest."

Viggo frowned. "Are you trading with the island of Berk?"

"Well, yes." Johann admitted.

"Then I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am not interested." Viggo hummed, turning his back on Johann to leave, but I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He stared at my hand for a few seconds, then raised his glance to glare at me.

"Brother don't you think we could have a look? I mean we actually would need several things." I tried to convince Viggo, but he shoved my hand off his shoulder rather harshly and scoffed.

"Do not strain yourself big brother. _You're_ not the one to think here. _You_ take orders and fulfill them. Do you understand?"

A deep growl crept up my throat as rage made my blood boil, but I nodded anyway.

"Good." Viggo purred in approval, faking a smile at me and walked off, his hands folded behind his back.

"Oh how I wish to just punch the guts out of him." I grumbled under my breath.

"What is stopping you? You seem to be the better built of you two, Master Ryker."

_Huh? What?_

I turned around and stared at trader Johann. _Did I just say that out loud? Ah who cares_.

I started to grin at that trader. "I have actually. He was quite a toothpick when we were kids."

The trader's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Oh? I see, and when has that changed?"

"That's a long story." I simply said with a shrug.

"Well, I have time." the trader offered and pointed to a rather large vessel of what seemed to be honey mead behind him. "Since I have nothing to sell today, would you mind sharing a drink with me? I got a brand new load of mead from the Amber Islands and just between you and me..." he lowered his voice and stepped closer as if he would tell me a big secret. "...there's no better honey mead in the entire world."

I frowned. There was still a lot of work waiting for me and Viggo would not be happy if he found out I neglected my tasks to drink away with trader Johann. _Ah, screw you Viggo! You are not going to be the ruler of my whole life! _

And so I finally nodded and followed Johann below deck. One cup of mead wouldn't hurt, now would it?

\------------

"... and since the day our little sishter drowned he was never the shame again. Like she took hish shoul with her to the grave." I slurred out before I took another sip of mead. Damn, Johann was not lying, that was indeed the best mead I ever tried and I was grateful that the trader made sure I never had an empty cup. Lowering the cup, I continued to tell him the story of our childhood.

"Since the day she wash born, Viggo and her were insheparable. It...it wash like he wash attached to her ... didn't quite undershtand that anyway ... I never had thish feelingsh for her, I mean she killed our mother in the procesh of coming to thish world..."

I stopped and took another sip.

"She looked jusht like her. People round the village would whishper she took our mother'sh life to gain her beauty for hershelf ... but thats shupershtition I guesh ... "

"Hmm, I am sure it was very hard for you to lose your mother?" Johann asked, his eyes filled with compassion.

I swallowed thickly and nodded. I could never forgive that little brat for tearing our poor mother apart. However, before I could lose myself in my grief, trader Johann decided to switch the topic.

"And how comes that Viggo is chief and not you, given the fact that you are the first born Master Ryker?"

Trader Johann filled my cup again.

The words continued to just slip from my tongue.

"Well our father put ush to a tesht and it sho happensh that Viggo outshmarted me to win." I clenched my fist and put the cup back down a little too harshly, spilling some of the mead.

Again the feeling of rage rose from my stomach as I remembered that embarrassing day. As long as I could remember it was always, Viggo, Viggo Viggo...

I growled in annoyance at my younger brother. "You know I could eashily kill him..." I punched my fist into the palm of my other hand to emphasize my statement before I dropped them again. "...but my father made me shwear to him on hish deashbed to reshpect my brother ash my chief ... and I am a man of my word."

"That's very honorable of you Master Ryker." trader Johann praised and put a hand on my shoulder. "I bet you would make a formidable chief. You are strong and determined. Ah you know nothing weakens a tribe more than a chief who cannot take care of his own sanity, that reminds me of the time when I was traveling to ..."

I wasn't paying attention anymore, the words the trader said lured in my brain. He's probably right. I would be a great chief.


	10. Chapter 9 - Meeting the gang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey dear readers of this story. I wanted to let you know that the last two chapters up to around chapter 30 were written by me when I just discovered writing fanfiction as my hobby. I tried to rewrite my early chapters but it turns out that I have too little time to change everything. So please bear with me, if those chapters aren't as well written as my previous ones. I can assure you quality gets better in my later chapters :)
> 
> Also I know being able to talk to dragons isn't everyone's beer, but in this story there will be an explanation as to why Lilly is able to communicate with them as she slowly discovers more about herself and her family. 
> 
> That being said I hope you have fun reading and comments as well as constructive criticism are always welcome by me :)

**Lilly's POV  
**

_"I told you this was a bad idea!"_ Shadow growled as we spurted through the forest, trying not to stumble over the many roots covering the ground. _"We should have never let the boy stay!"_

_"Calm down Shadow..."_ I panted, stopping when we reached a small clearing. _"...Hiccup is a friend."_ I put my hands on my knees, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. What a way to start this morning! First I wake up to find Hiccup gone and now I have to hide on my own island because Mrs. Night Fury is throwing a fit. And then the strange dream...could it be true or was my mind just confusing things after Hiccup told me all his stories. Still, it was like I could still feel the boy's hand on my cheek and those brown eyes...

_"That's what you think, but you should never trust a human."_

Shadow's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

_"You trust me."_ I shot back, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes at her.

_"Yes, but you are different...you are more dragon than human."_

_"What?"_ I knitted my brows, but before Shadow could explain I noticed the sky above us darken. The air was filled by the flapping sound of wings.

Shadow growled beside me, obviously angered that Hiccup and his friends wouldn't leave us alone. _"Up there Lilly, quickly."_

Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I hurried to climb up the nearest tree, hiding behind the green branches. Just then, the dragons landed carefully between the trees with several thumps. Shadow growled again, spreading her black wings slightly when I heard a squeak.

"Oh, by Odins beard, is that what I think it is?"

Willing my breathing to calm down, I peeked through the leaves and watched as a big, blonde boy hopped of a Gronckle.

"It is, Fishlegs. That's Shadow - she lives here with Lilly."

That was Hiccup speaking. I watched him moving closer to Shadow, who was still growling, Toothless right on his track.

I could hear Toothless speaking up: "_Shadow, please don't worry, we won't do you or Lilly any harm, these humans are dragon's friends. I only ask you to trust me, could you do that, please?" _He looked at Shadow with pleading eyes and eventually she calmed down, her eyes growing wide and she gave a light puff.

"Oh that's so exciting, it's like they're actually talking to each other!" The Fishlegs person spoke again.

_"Well of course we are..." _I could almost feel Shadow's eye-roll. I giggled.

"Lilly? Where are you? Please come out, I would like to introduce you to my friends. Everything is okay, you don't have to be afraid." Hiccup looked around, trying to find me. _Well I guess if Shadow decides to trust them, I should too. _

"Woah!" Hiccup startled as I jumped down behind his back, spinning around. "Oh thank Thor, there you are."

He closed the distance between us and pulled me into a tight hug. Looking over his shoulder I found five humans staring at me open-mouthed. Hiccup pulled away eventually and turned to his friends.

"Guys, this is Lilly."

I didn't know how to react so I kept looking back at them until one of the boys spoke up.

"Woah, Hiccup, why didn't you tell me that you spent the last days with Mrs. Lout, cause that's what she's gonna be." The black haired boy walked up to me, wiggling his eyebrows.

_What is he talking about?_

I was utterly confused. "No...my name is Lilly...."

Everyone, except the black haired boy, started laughing.

"Ignore him. He's a muttonhead." A blonde girl spoke up as she punched the boy in the ribs. She eyed me up and down, her gaze lingering on Hiccup's tunic. Her eyes wandered to Hiccup, then back to me, her expression wary as she finally spoke. "Anyway, I'm Astrid and I guess we owe you a thank you for saving Hiccup...so thanks..."

She held her hand out to me and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. I frowned, staring down at her outstretched hand, not knowing what to do.

"You shake it." Hiccup whispered in my ear.

"Oh..." I said, taking her hand. It was only a brief touch, before she pulled away again.

"Hi, I'm Fishlegs and these two over there are Ruffnut and Tuffnut, don't pay too much attention to them, they're a wandering disaster." Fishlegs said as he stepped over to me.

"Hey, you know we can hear you!" The boy named Tuffnut exclaimed.

Fishlegs shrugged and looked back to Shadow. "Is that your Night Fury?"

_"I don't belong to anyone!" _I heard her growl.

"Shadow is friend." I simply said.

"Of course. That's great."

Then I sensed a different voice in my head, coming from another dragon. "_Is it true, you can really understand what we're saying?"_

I looked around, searching for the source of the voice and found the Gronckle coming closer.

_"Yeah, I can." _I replied.

_"Oh this is amazing."_

Soon I found myself circled by the dragons, they looked at me curiously and when I turned around to touch them, they let me pet their heads. Smiling I brought my gaze up to see everyone staring at me, bewildered.

**Hiccup's POV**

Never before have I seen a dragon draw to a person that fast, I was completely amazed as I watched the scene before my eyes. As was everyone else.

When my eyes met Lilly's, she looked at me, giving me a timid smile. Not realizing I was holding my breath, I released it before stepping towards her .

"Will you come with us? To dragon's edge?" I asked hopefully, extending my hand to her.

She looked down on my hand before sharing a long gaze with Shadow. When she finally looked back at me, she reached out and put her hand in mine.

"Shadow says yes, we come."

I couldn't fight the bright grin spreading on my face. "Then let's go, shall we?" I said as everyone hopped on their dragons and flew up into the sky - destination dragon's edge.


	11. Chapter 10 - Maces and Talons

**Lilly's POV**

"_Jali are you coming?" _I reached out to him as we were flying off our island, Hiccup's friends already ahead of us. _  
_

_"I am staying near the island but don't worry, I will get to you whenever you need me."   
_

_"Alright, just take care."   
_

_"I will, love." _

Looking back one final time I felt a brush of air as Hiccup and Toothless came flying next to us. He flashed me a sweet smile and somehow that had my stomach do a flip. Huh? What a strange feeling... probably because we are flying that high, I brushed it off. 

"I'm really glad you're coming. I hope you will like the edge." Hiccup said.

"I want to see how you live." I said, returning his smile.

After a while the island called dragon's edge came into view and what a sight! Towering over the island I could see a big Volcano while the landscape was plastered with rich green grass and trees. On the cliffs several wooden huts, which seemed to be connected to each other with wooden bridges came into my sight. Hiccup pointed to a large wooden platform, where Shadow and the other dragons landed.

Hopping off of Shadow I took in the surroundings. Wow I have never seen something like this_.   
_

"So what do you think?" 

I turned to see Hiccup standing close to me, he was scratching his neck. 

"It's beautiful." I breathed. 

He chuckled. "Well let me show you around." 

He offered me his hand and I took it, smiling.

**Hiccup's POV**

"What's that?" Lilly asked as we entered the clubhouse, running her hands over the stone plate cornering our fireplace. 

"That's our club house, we meet here to eat and spend time together." 

Watching Lilly walk through the room was pure joy, every little thing she discovered would make her overly excited, it was like watching an exotic animal. _Well exotic she is._ _Okay wait...where did that come from?  
_

However I was shook from my thoughts when Lilly picked up a little flask of oil from the table.

"Drink?" She asked.

I chuckled. "No that's actually Astrid's. It's perfume, women put it on them to smell nice." 

"Oh, can I?" In her excitement she opened the bottle a little too fast, spilling half of the smelly liquid in the process. I stepped up to her. 

"Woah! Take it easy, that's Astrid's only luxury." I took the bottle from her, spilling some of the fragrance on myself too. "Oh great..." 

Suddenly Lilly leaned in very closely to sniff at my chest. A very familiar heat began to rise again in my cheeks. 

"Smells nice, like flowers."

"Yes it does." Astrid was stepping into the clubhouse, the gang following her. 

"Oh Hiccup smells like a girly now, how sweet." Snotlout teased in a high pitched voice.

"Oh shut up." I grumbled, my cheeks still burning. Everyone except Lilly laughed. She looked at me.

"What is so funny?"

"Ah... never mind." I grumbled, scratching at the back of my neck. 

She shrugged.

Astrid eyed us with a hard expression and her hands crossed in front of her chest. "Well...Lilly, we should get you into some proper clothes, you can't walk around the edge like this. And Hiccup needs his tunic back. Come with me."

"Oh...okay..." Lilly looked down at herself then back to Astrid as she followed her towards Astrid's hut.

**Lilly's POV**

"Let's see what we have here." Astrid mumbled as she rummaged through a big wooden box at the foot of her bed, tossing several pieces of clothes to the floor. 

Meanwhile I wandered through her hut, examining all the strange things surrounding me. Something big and silver lay on top of her bed and I reached out to touch it. "Don't." 

Startled, I drew my hand back, meeting Astrid's hard gaze. 

"That's my axe, no one is allowed to touch it." 

"Oh...sorry..." I bit my lower lip and folded my hands behind my back. It seemed safer to not touch anything that belonged to Astrid. There was something about her made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't put my finger on it. But where Hiccup had been excited and open towards me, she seemed resentful.

"So how long did you live on that island?" She asked, throwing a bundle of clothes down onto her bed. 

I stared down at the little pile. "I don't know...many years. Is this for wearing?" I picked up a dark green, sleeveless tunic to examine it. 

"Yes, I think these will do." Astrid gestured to the remaining clothes. There was a brown leather skirt, very similar to the one she was wearing and matching brown pants. She worried her lower lip before she spoke again. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

"Why are you wearing Hiccup's tunic?" 

"Oh...Hiccup says it's not like civilization for me to not wear tunic." I giggled a little. There was so much for me to learn about the way how other humans lived and I couldn't wait to explore it all. Astrid kept a straight face, she didn't even smile and that irritated me. Have I done something wrong?

"So you didn't...uhm...you know...kiss?" She asked, eying me cautiously. 

Huh? I tilted my head, confused. "Kiss? How do I do that?" 

Astrid raised her eyebrow's, blushing lightly. "You don't know what a kiss is?" 

"No, I don't." I shook my head and Astrid's face brightened up almost instantly. Now I was even more confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh never mind." She made a dismissive gesture with her hand, even laughed a little. "I'll leave now so that you can get changed." With that she was leaving the hut, closing the door behind her. 

"Okay..." I stared at the closed door for several long moments, chewing on my lower lip. I wonder if this was the right decision, to come here. Everything was so confusing and overwhelming. But Hiccup seemed to be happy about it...well I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay a few days. I sighed as I stripped off his tunic and changed into the new clothes. The white fur vest that I put on above the tunic felt soft and warm. At last I put on some leather boots. It felt weird, wearing them. _Like my feet are in a cage. _

Now fully dressed, I grabbed Hiccup's tunic and headed back to the clubhouse.

**Hiccup's POV**

While Astrid and Lilly were gone to fetch her some new clothes I went to change into a spare tunic of mine as well, then I sat down at the Maces and Talons board that Viggo had left behind for me and pondered what his next steps might be. Lost deep in thought, I startled when someone called my name. Turning around I saw Lilly walking up to me, wearing some of Astrid's clothes. The dark green tunic let her eyes sparkle even brighter. _  
_

_She looks stunning.   
_

I couldn't help but stare at her, at least until I saw her waving her hand before my eyes. 

"Hiccup you okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, you...uhm...look great, the...the shoes suit you well." _What? I mentally face-palmed. _

She looked down to her feet and thanked me before bringing her eyes up to look at what I was doing. Her brows furrowed as she came closer, holding onto the wooden game board. 

"That's..." I started but was cut off by her surprised gasp.

"Maces and Talons." She breathed, eyes turning wide.

I stared at her. "How do you know? Hey, are you okay? You're trembling." 

Taking her hand made her finally look at me. 

"I don't know, Hiccup. I need some air." 

With that she turned and ran from the clubhouse. 

"Lilly wait!" 

I sprinted after her but was stopped by an overly excited Fishlegs on the way. 

"Hiccup, she's back! Heather is back!" 

"What?"

I caught a last glimpse of Lilly as she ran off to the shore.


	12. Chapter 11 - Heather

**Lilly's POV**

"Lilly wait!" I heard Hiccup call after me, but I couldn't stop, the strangest memories flashing in my mind left me feeling like I would suffocate. I ran until my feet gave in and I fell to my knees, panting. My feet ached, I had to take those strange boots of. Tossing them aside I looked around to see I was at a rocky shore. I got up and walked towards a large rock, once I climbed up I put my knees to my chest and stared into the dark blue sea.

_"Very well done little flower, I see one day you may be even better than me." "You think so?" I locked eyes with the brown haired boy sitting across the game board who looked at me proudly. "Yes I am very sure about that." I smiled, seeing him happy filled my little heart with joy._

Why is everything so confusing and why do I keep thinking about that boy? I thought as the sea breeze made me shiver, I clutched my knees tighter and rested my head on top of them.

**Hiccup's POV**

"Heather it's great to have you back!" I pulled her into a tight hug. 

"Yeah it feels good to see you all again." She replied, hugging me back.

"Where have you been?" Astrid was the next to hug Heather. When they pulled apart Heather scratched her head. 

"Well that's a long story, but I have important news for you regarding Viggo and Ryker."

"Well I would love to hear that, but first I have to look for someone, we have a lot to tell you too. Why don't you all go to the clubhouse and I will join you as soon as I found Lilly." 

Heather looked surprised. "Who's that?" 

Astrid put a hand on her shoulder, leading her to the clubhouse. "I will tell you everything, do you know we found another night fury?" 

"No way!" Heathers eyes grew wide as they walked away.

As soon as everyone left I called out for Toothless, who was playing with Shadow. Both dragons came up to me. 

"Let's go find Lilly." I said while hopping on Toothless back. Shadow snorted and narrowed her eyes as if she was saying _You lost her? "_Well of course you can join us." I said as we took off.

Gliding above the island Shadow spotted Lilly first, there she was, sitting on a rock at the shore. We dove towards her and I jumped off Toothless as soon as we hit the ground. I don't know if she knew we were here or not, either way she did not turn her head as I slowly approached her, climbing up I sat down beside her.

She kept staring at the horizon, a worried look on her face. I cleared my throat: "Wanna talk about something?"

She bit her lip and turned to face me, oh Thor she looked adorable. _Stop it, Hiccup, that's not the right thing to think, she's obviously upset about something._

I was pulled out of my thoughts, hearing her whisper. "I think I remember... things." 

"What kind of things?" 

She was staring at the horizon again. "Strange things ... like from another life." 

Hesitantly I brought my hand to her shoulder, rubbing softly in an attempt to calm her. Our eyes met again, she looked at me expectantly as I broke the silence once more. 

"You know, maybe I can help you. If you want to find out more about your past, I will support you." 

"You would?" Her eyes were shimmering. 

"Yeah." I whispered, lost in her eyes. 

We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity and I felt my heartbeat speeding up as I looked from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes. _Should I? _I leaned in a little closer and Lilly's eyes widened a little, but the moment was ruined by ...

... an upset Night Fury. Shadow jumped on the rock, successfully knocking me down in the process. 

"Ouch!" I rubbed my back as I got up. Shadow growled lightly. _Well thank you, you jealous reptile. _

"Maybe we should head back to the others, there is someone I would like you to meet." I said and soon enough we were flying back to the clubhouse.

Time skip to the evening - in the clubhouse 

"When I was flying around trying to sort out my thoughts and the whole Dagur's my brother thing, I met trader Johann and he told me something of great interest. Apparently Viggo's planning a big auction, only the richest vikings will show up, I don't know how many poor dragons he is planning to sell." Heather explained after I introduced her to Lilly.

Now we were all sitting around the fireplace, having dinner. I frowned. "No matter what he is up to, we have to prevent him from fulfilling his plan."

"You're right Hiccup, but we need a plan and it has to be a good one." Astrid said. 

Beside me I could feel Lilly tense up and almost choke on her piece of meat. 

"Hey are you alright?"

**Lilly's POV**

I coughed several times before replying. "It's nothing." 

Hiccup looked not convinced but eventually brought his attention back to the ongoing discussion of what to do. _Viggo, I feel like I know this name... _

"We need to bring someone near to Viggo, someone he has not seen before, to keep him occupied while we try to free the dragons." Hiccup explained. _That sounds like a good idea. _

"But Hiccup, he's seen us all at least once." Fishlegs interrupted my thoughts. _No not everyone, maybe I could? No, I should, I want to help._

"I do it." 

Everyone was staring at me and Hiccup frowned. "Lilly do you think that's a good idea, you're not a dragon rider and you have no idea how Viggo is, he's the most ruthless Viking I ever met. I don't want to put you in danger."

I felt anger rise up in my stomach. "I'm not afraid, I can take care of myself."

"Hiccup, she's probably right, Viggo doesn't know her, it's perfect to be honest." Astrid said, eying me from across the table with her arms crossed. The others agreed. 

Hiccup sighed in defeat. "Alright, seems it's seven against one. But I think we should called it a night now, it's been a long day and we need to rest before we work on our plan tomorrow. Lilly, you and Shadow can stay in my hut as Heather is staying with Astrid." He smiled shyly and I returned it. I could see Astrid tense out of the corner of my eye. 

"Okay, but I want to take a little walk first...I need to clear my head. You don't mind?" 

"Of course not, well see you later then." 

I remained in the clubhouse a little longer after everyone else had left before I put out the fire and decided to have a walk through the rider's huts and talk to Shadow. I needed to tell her how I feel.

_"Shadow? Can you come to me." _I reached out to her. 

"_Sure love, just one second."_

Smiling, I turned to look at the bright night sky, when I saw a movement in corner of my eye along with a strange noise coming from Fishlegs hut. 

Sneaking up, my eyes widened as I saw Fishlegs and Heather doing some weird thing with their mouth. Shadow landed next to me and I jumped a little. 

_"Everything alright Lilly?" _

_"Hm? Yeah...I'm okay...Shadow what are they doing with the mouths?" _

Shadow chuckled. _"You mean kissing?" _

Oh so that's what you do when you do the "kiss thing". Tilting my head to the side I couldn't deny that they looked like they enjoyed it. 

Time skip to Hiccup's hut

After a while of flying with Shadow I sensed that she was growing tired, as I was. So we headed back to Hiccup's hut. Everything was dark and I assumed he was already asleep. I walked up the stairs carefully as not to wake him, to find him lying in his bed, snoring lightly. _  
_

_He really must have been exhausted. _

Looking at him made my eyelids grow heavier as tiredness overtook me, I laid down beside him and drifted off to sleep the moment my head touched the pillow.


	13. Chapter 12 - The Kiss Thing

**Lilly's POV**

"_Shh little flower, don't cry."   
_

_A soft voice spoke to me in the darkness, warm arms held me close under cozy fur blankets. I sobbed."B-but it's my fault, he said if it wasn't for m-me mommy would still be alive."   
_

_The tears, that were streaming down my cheek, were brushed away with a thumb. "Listen to me, it was not your fault. Don't you ever believe that. Bad things happen and no one knows why. Sleep now and forget about that brute."   
_

_Feeling the touch of soft lips on my forehead I drifted off to sleep as I heard the voice sing to me.   
_

_"Down, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies. High, high on a hill, my little lily love..."_

I awoke with a start from the same dream which I had a few days ago on my island. But this time I could remember more, the sweet melody I heard the first time was an actual song...like a lullaby - for me.

_I had a mother and she died, but why and how did I believe it was my fault? What did I do? _

Stretching my arm out I felt that the other side of the bed was empty. Hiccup was gone. _  
_

_Oh why didn't he wake me? I wish I could tell him about my dream. _

Getting up I slipped back into the boots Astrid gave me, the feeling still very strange on my feet and headed out of the hut to look for Hiccup.

However I remained unsuccessful and let out a frustrated sigh when Shadow appeared next to me. _"Shadow, have you seen Hiccup and Toothless?" _

Shadow shook her head. "_No, I haven't. I was looking for Toothless myself. Well I guess they will return eventually. I will go and ask Stormfly, see you later."_

I sighed again as I watched Shadow disappear around the corner and decided to go to the clubhouse. _He will show up there, eventually. _

Walking in the room I saw Fishlegs sitting by the fireplace, studying some dragon notes. Suddenly I got an idea, he can help me figure something out.

"Hey Fishlegs." He looked up to greet me. "Hey Lilly. What's up?"

I walked up to him and sat down, looking him straight in the eye. "Tell me about the kiss thing."

"WHAT?" he squeaked, turning pink. _Huh, I wasn't expecting that. _

"I saw you with Heather. Tell me, it tastes good?"

"Oh Thor! I really am the wrong person to ask about such things." he said turning an even darker shade of pink.

"Oh please, I want to know how it is." I looked at him pleadingly.

"I-it's hard to explain, maybe you should ... just try it and kiss someone." he stammered.

_Oh not a bad idea._ I leant in closer to him. "WHOA!" he exclaimed raising his arms. "Lilly you can't kiss ME!"

I was truly confused. "Why not?"

"Because first, Heather would rip your head off and second you really should only kiss someone you like." he tried to explain.

"But I like you, you're my friend." _I don't understand_.

Fishlegs pinched his nose. "Oh Thor, how can I explain. What I mean is, you should only kiss the person you got a crush on."

"How do I get that crush?" I tilted my head to the side.

"You don't know? Oh Thor, you know when you see someone you have a crush on you get this weird feeling in your stomach? And your heart usually beats very fast when you meet this person." Sweat was beginning to drip from his forehead.

"Oh. Thank you Fishlegs." I got up and left Fishlegs alone. Standing outside the door I could hear him sigh heavily from inside, mumbling _oh Thor, oh Thor, oh Thor. _I giggled and looked around, determined to continue finding Hiccup.

Finally I found him back at his hut, he was sitting at the front steps, fiddling around on something I couldn't see from the distance. I walked closer to him and he raised his head, smiling when he found it was me coming over to him. _  
_

_Oh what's that?_

I felt a light tingle in my stomach when I saw him smiling at me. _  
_

_Can it be what Fishlegs meant?_

I put a hand on my stomach before sitting down next to him.

"Hey Lilly." he greeted me as I peeked over his shoulder in interest of what he was doing. 

"What is that?" I asked. 

"Oh that's a saddle, I made it for you and Shadow, thought since we all have one you could use one too. You will see it's much more comfortable." 

I was stunned, running a finger over the smooth leather. "You did that for me?" 

He smiled again. "Well, yeah. You like it?" 

Hiccup looked at me, his emerald green eyes sparkling in the sunshine. The tingle in my stomach grew stronger and I felt my heartbeat speeding up. I put one hand on my stomach, the other resting above my heart. Hiccup frowned. "Lilly are you alright?" 

"I'm feeling so weird in my stomach." 

Our eyes were still locked.

"Are you feeling sick, do you want to lie down?" he asked, concern in his voice. 

I shook my head. "And my heart's beating so fast." 

He was about to get up but stopped dead in his tracks when I leaned forward and pressed my lips on his in a quick kiss. Pulling back, I traced my mouth with a finger, my lips tingled from the sensation. 

"Hmm.. so that's a kiss." I whispered to myself. 

"No."

I turned my head to find Hiccup's face only inches apart. He placed both of his hands on my face saying. "This is a kiss." before I felt his lips on mine again. 

This was nothing like the quick peck from before. I felt heat rush to my face as his soft lips moved against mine, hesitantly at first but soon enough becoming more passionate. Eventually we pulled apart to catch our breath. He rested his forehead on mine. 

"Wow." was all I could breathe out and we both started laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here is the link to the song I chose as Lilly's lullaby. :) 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbg1KV4GJhc


	14. Chapter 13 - Preparations

**Lilly's POV**

"So what do you think, shall we find Shadow to try this out?" Hiccup asked after a while, holding up the saddle.

Slowly shaking from my daze I looked up into Hiccup's shimmering eyes and nodded slowly. He grinned at me, winking. 

"Oh, have I made you speechless?"

I blushed a deep shade of pink. "Shut up." 

He chuckled, "I see you're picking up fast on how we talk around here." 

He offered me his hand as he got up and interlaced our fingers as we walked down the path from his hut to find our dragons.

Soon we spotted Toothless and Shadow playing in the meadow next to the dome along with the other dragons. The gang was sitting around, obviously having a blast listening to the twins jokes. Hiccup squeezed my hand lightly before letting it go as we approached them.

"Can I?" I asked, pointing to the saddle.

"Sure." Hiccup handed it over to me and I smiled happily, turning around to show Shadow our gift. "Shadow! Look what I have here!" I called out to her while running down the hill.

Hiccup went to sit down along with the other riders, but I could still feel his eyes on me. Shadow looked up perking her ears as I stopped right in front of her. 

However the moody dragon sniffed the saddle suspiciously: "_And what would that be?"   
_

_"A saddle! Hiccup made it for us, so you can wear it whenever we go on a flight."   
_

_"Oh there's no way you're putting that saddle thing on my back!" _She huffed, her eyes turning to slits. 

_"Oh come on Shadow, big please?"_ I tried my best puppy eyed look but it was useless. 

"_No." _Shadow said before she ran off. _  
_

_Oh you annoying, moody lizard. _I thought as I spurted after her.

**Hiccup's POV**

Watching Lilly chase after Shadow made me chuckle, it reminded me a lot of my first times with Toothless. 

"Funny, it looks like they would actually talk to each other." Heather pointed out as everyone's eyes were focused on the scene before us. 

"That's because they are." I spoke up, still amazed by the fact that Lilly could speak to dragons.

"You got to be kidding Hiccup." Astrid said in disbelief. 

"Yeah, no one can talk to dragons, duh. You're so easily fooled Hiccup, but to convince the amazing Snotman Lilly would have to bring an foolproof evidence." Snotlout gave himself air. 

I rolled my eyes and was about to retort when Lilly stepped up to us, panting heavily but without the saddle. 

"Proof what?" she asked, brows furrowed.

I chuckled once more. "How have you convinced Shadow to put the saddle on?" 

She turned her gaze to me and sighed. "I promised to catch her salmon...lots of salmon. But proof what?"

"Hiccup says you can speak with dragons, we find that hard to believe and it's really not easy to say but I agree with Snotlout. Could you proof us that you really understand what the dragons are saying?" Astrid said, her arms crossed. 

I frowned, not liking where this was going. It wasn't my intention to put Lilly into this position of justifying herself. But again, as I was about to say something, I was interrupted. This time by Lilly. 

"Okay, I show you. Hookfang!"

Everyone's attention was now on the big monstrous nightmare walking lazily towards us. I watched intently as Lilly petted Hookfang's snout before whispering something in his ear. Suddenly she burst out laughing, Hookfang joined her in his very own dragon way of laughing. Soon enough Lilly turned to Snotlout.

"Hookfang says you set yourself on fire twenty times the first week you were together and he also told me that sometimes at night you would mumble in your sleep and suck your thumb. Oh and that you really are a muttonhead, but you are his muttonhead, he loves you." 

Everyone's jaw dropped before the group burst out laughing and Snotlouts face turned deep deep red before glaring at Hookfang. However Snotlout got up and hugged his dragon's neck. "Oh I love you too, Hooky. But how dare you telling her that!" Hookfang chuckled.

"Woah, this is awesome!" Tuffnut exclaimed. 

"Yeah just think about the possibilities of mischief we could do!" Ruffnut agreed before they smashed their heads together.

I pinched my nose, feeling that it was time to change the topic to something more important. "Hey guys, I know this is exciting - I still am very amazed myself but we should talk about our plan regarding the upcoming Grimborn auction now."

Lilly sat down next to me and as soon as I was sure I had everyone's attention I spoke up again. "Well last night I tried to figure out how to smuggle Lilly in without getting Viggo suspicious. Heather you said, that only the richest Vikings would show up, right?"

Heather nodded. "Yeah that's right."

"That means we have to make Viggo believe Lilly is some rich Viking lady who is interested in buying dragons." I continued.

"But Hiccup, how could we do that? We would need to dress her up and get some gold to be convincing." Astrid objected.

I grinned. "Exactly. We will even make up a name for her second identity. And I know where we will get what we need. Lilly and I will fly to Berk today and hopefully my father will be generous enough to borrow us some of Berk's gold. Lilly are you sure you want to do that? You don't have to." I squeezed her hand reassuringly but she looked at me with determination sparkling in her eyes. 

"I do it." She said and I nodded.

"Very well, Snotlout I need you to find Trader Johann, please bring him to Dragon's Edge. We need his help to get in."

Snotlout nodded. "Sounds like a job for the amazing Snotman."

After all terms were sorted out, the group split up, leaving Lilly and me alone. "Are you ready?" I asked holding out my hand for her. She took it and nodded slightly as I called out for our dragons.

Time skip to Berk

**Lilly's POV**

"The saddle is really amazing, thank you Hiccup." I smiled at him as we were flying through the cloudy sky. He brought Toothless closer to us and replied happily: "I'm glad you like it." 

Watching him, I noticed how the wind would blow through his auburn hair. His eyes were filled with affection. _Why do they always seem to sparkle?_

I felt my gaze going further down to his lips as memories of that kiss flooded back to my brain. Instantly I sensed my cheeks turning red and I looked away quickly. He must have noticed, because I could hear him chuckle softly. _  
_

_"Hmm I think someone is falling in love." _I heard Shadow mocking in my head. _  
_

_"Shut up Shadow!" _but she continued laughing, turning her head in a toothless smile. _Am I in love? How am I even supposed to know?! _

However my thoughts were interrupted by Hiccup pointing to a small island coming closer on the horizon. "That's Berk. We're almost there."

We landed next to a building Hiccup explained to be the Great Hall. This was where his father would usually be during the day. I felt nervous and overwhelmed as a crowd of people drew near to us obviously very excited to see another Night Fury. My heartbeat sped up an I felt sweat forming on my forehead, Shadow growled nervously. Right then a deep voice called out from the doorsteps. "Step back! Everyone step back! Let my son through!"

Hiccup took me by the hand and led me up the stairs where a big man with a long red beard put Hiccup into a tight hug. "Son, so good to have you here!" 

"Hi dad." Hiccup breathed out, it looked like his father was crashing him. 

Eventually he let go off Hiccup and brought his attention to me. "And who might that young lass be?"

"Dad, that's Lilly. She saved my life when Toothless and I were brought down by dragon hunters." Hiccup took my hand again and smiled at me. 

Suddenly I was captured in the same bonecrushing hug as Hiccup before, lifting me off my feet. Gasping for breath, I was rather happy when Hiccup's father put me back down. 

"Well Lilly, you truly have my gratitude for saving my son. I'm Stoick, welcome to Berk." 

"Thank you." I breathed out, still overwhelmed by the situation. 

"Father can we speak to you in private please?" Hiccup asked as we entered the great hall.

**Hiccup's POV**

"Are you serious? You want me to give you Berk's entire cache of gold?" I knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Well, yeah." I scratched my neck.

My father's face grew red with anger. "If you weren't my son, I'd lock you up right now. You have no idea what you're suggesting, Hiccup."

"But father, Viggo Grimborn is the most ruthless Viking we've come in contact with. If we don't do something to disrupt this auction, Viggo will make so much gold, he'll be able to catch and slaughter hundreds of dragons and no dragon in the Archipelago will be safe, including our own dragons. I have a plan, it's foolproof. Please let me explain."

After telling my father every single detail of my plan he got up, his hands behind his back and paced around the room in circles. He had his "thinking face" on and I knew better than to interrupt him when he was in this state. So I sat down next to Lilly, who was taking in her surroundings in obvious awe. _I bet she has never seen anything like this in her life. _

Eventually my father spoke up. "And you are absolutely sure, that this will work out?"

I nodded, determined. "I am."

Father sighed: "Well than I let you take the gold, but under one condition. Gobber comes with you. As for the dressing up part, follow me, I have something for you Lilly."

I cheered inwardly at my success and followed father and Lilly to our hut where father put out an old wooden trunk. He opened it an pulled out a beautiful dark blue gown, framed with a burgundy red collar and light gold embroidery along the collar and long sleeves. He handed the dress to Lilly, saying: "Here, this was Hiccup's mothers dress. Telling your size, I think it should fit you." I watched as Lilly took the gown hesitantly, quietly thanking my father.

"You can change in my room upstairs, to see if it fits you." I suggested. Lilly nodded and went upstairs, closing the door behind her.

"Well son, I leave you two be now. Gobber will come over in half an hour with the gold." Father said as he walked out the door.

Not knowing what to do while Lilly was changing, I sat down by the fireplace and put out my note book along with the charcoal pencil to draw a little. However Lilly didn't return. _She's gone for ages. What is she doing?_

Deciding to check on Lilly, I stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door lightly. I could hear a frustrated groan coming from inside. "Lilly are you alright?"

"No."

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, I need help, please." Lilly sighed.

I opened the door carefully but stopped dead in my tracks at the sight that unfolded for my eyes. Lilly was standing in the middle of the room, half-dressed in the gown, which was covering her front and arms, her back however was completely bare and visible to me. I blushed madly and my throat went dry as Lilly gave me a frustrated look over her shoulder. 

"Hiccup please help, I can't tie it up."

I gulped, but walked up to her, bringing my shaky hands to the cord on each side of the dress. _Relax Hiccup. _

Inch by inch I managed to lace the cords upwards, Lilly tugged her long hair to one side on her font, exposing her neck. She was radiating with heat, the sweet scent of flowers and salty water fogging my brain. Lilly however was absolutely oblivious of the effect she had on me. It made it even worse. "I'm done." My voice sounded husky. _Gods...get a grip Haddock_.

Lilly turned around and I took in the sight of her. She looked absolutely ravishing.

She smiled and turned around, the dress swirling around her body in the process. "What do you think?"

"You look beautiful." 

She giggled at that, but her cheeks turned slightly pink._ Oh I love to hear her laughing.  
_

Before Lilly could think about an answer I pulled her into a kiss, that made her gasp in surprise and caused my blood to sear.

However the moment didn't last long as I heard Gobber calling from downstairs.

"Hey Hiccup, we're ready to go."


	15. Chapter 14 - The Auction

**Lilly's POV**

"I am Lady Elaine of the Silver Island, I've come to bid on dragons to enlarge the dragon leather production on my island." I repeated those sentences over and over in my head, as Johan's ship glided effortlessly through the deep blue waters. _I feel dry, I wish I could just jump into the water and swim_. 

The feeling of the heavy long dress was foreign to my body, it scratched a little. Running a hand over my now braided hair falling over my right shoulder, I sighed heavily. _Oh I really hope I can do it. If this Viggo really is that ruthless, it's not going to be easy. But it has to work, for the dragons. _

To avoid causing too much attention we left Shadow back on the edge, she was not happy at all, but agreed eventually when I told her it would be a catastrophe if the dragon hunters found out there was a second Night Fury. I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a large hand on my shoulder. 

"It's going to be alright, lassy. You don't know our Hiccup like we do, that lad's really brilliant. And good old Gobber here will have an eye on you." Gobber smiled at me reassuringly and I returned it, feeling better, before I let my thoughts wander to Hiccup. 

He did the kiss thing again back at Berk and I have to admit I liked it, a lot. Blushing from my own thoughts I startled as I heard Trader Johann call out: "Land Ahoy! Everyone hide under deck, now."

_So it begins._

**Viggo's POV**

_What a perfect day for an auction, the weather couldn't be better and before the sun sets today, will I not only be in possession of a decent amount of gold, but my reputation as the most prolific dealer of dragons will be carved in stone. This is all for you, my little flower. _

"Big brother, how is security coming along?" I asked as I walked up to my brother who was standing next to the cages containing little terrible terrors, teasing them with a fish - which he would not give to them despite their hungry cries. 

Ryker got to his feet to face me. "Catapults are doubled. Watchtowers are going up. The dragon riders better not dare showing up." 

I hummed to myself, pleased with the news. "Very good."

My triumphant mood was however short lived as one of my hunters rushed over to Ryker and me, addressing that Trader Johann had just arrived. _When will that annoying Trader learn that his offers are not welcome. _

"And what might Trader Johann want?" I asked, folding my hands behind my back. 

The hunter rubbed his head. "He didn't come alone, he says he met this rich Viking Lady on his trip telling her about the auction and she seemed to be very interested, so she sailed with him."

I frowned, not convinced at all but replied anyway: "Well then I guess we should bid that mysterious Lady welcome. Come, brother."

Walking up to the landing stage I saw Trader Johann standing on the deck of his boat. "Ah, Master Grimborn, it's a pleasure to see you again. I wanted to introduce you to Lady Elaine of the Silver Island. She was so kind as to accompany me on my way to you and may I show you a special offering for your auction as a sign of respect? And as an exchange for future safe passage in my trading lanes. Maybe?"

I narrowed my eyes as I turned my attention to Ryker. "Big brother, you take a look at Trader Johann's offering while I welcome Lady Elaine." 

Ryker nodded and followed the trader under deck. That's when I first caught sight of her. My eyes widened and I felt a painful sting in my heart. _What kind of evil joke is this? _

**Lilly's POV **

My heart was hammering hard in my chest as I watched two men approach our boat. _This must be Viggo and Ryker. _

I felt Gobber's hand on my back, pushing me slightly forward to get to the landing stage. Standing there, I watched as the taller man left with Trader Johann before the other one, supposedly being Viggo turned to look at me. Our gazes met and I inhaled sharply. Those eyes. I knew those eyes or did I? I've seen them in my dreams. 

I stood paralyzed and for a moment I thought I saw his eyes widen too, but in an instant his face returned to the emotionless expression he had before. Slowly, he walked up to me, I felt like I couldn't breathe, my heart hammering so fast I was afraid it might burst.

"I assume you are Lady Elaine?" I nodded, unable to speak. He smiled, before taking my hand to place a kiss on it. "It is my pleasure to welcome you here. I am Viggo Grimborn. Come, walk with me. I am sure you would enjoy a tour through the auction field." 

Nodding again, I took the arm Viggo offered me and let him lead me away from the ship. Gobber followed us carrying the gold chest. For a moment I saw Viggo and Ryker exchange a meaningful glance as he reappeared from under deck. But I was too confused to make it out correctly.

**Hiccup's POV**

Peeking through a little hole in the wooden planks, I saw Viggo walk up to Lilly, kissing her hand before leading her away. My stomach twisted, I didn't like that at all. He should not be touching her. I could see her shivering. Hopefully she would be alright. 

"The coast is clear. Let's go." I heard Astrid whisper. 

_Let's do it._

**Lilly's POV**

Viggo led me through the cages, showing me all different kind of dragons his hunters had captured. "So what brings you to my auction, my dear lady Elaine? I've never seen you before." He asked casually, his eyes however were void from emotion.

I felt a shiver run down my spine. His gaze was nothing like in my dreams. He terrified me. 

"I...I've come to bid on dragons..." _Crap, how was my text going again?_ I knitted my brows, trying to recall the right words. "to... to make leather on my island."

He gave me an odd look, his eyebrows arching ever so slightly as my nerves ate a hole through my stomach. Did I just give myself away? Whatever was visible in Viggo's face just a second ago was gone in the next and he hummed, gesturing behind my back. "Very well, then let me show you this Deadly Nadder, it's hide makes incredible smooth leather."

I turned around to face a frightened young Deadly Nadder, cowering in its cage. My heart dropped as I looked straight into the dragon's eyes. _"Hey little one, are you okay?" _I reached out to him. 

"_Help me." _Was all the poor creature managed to get out.

I reached through the metal bars to stroke the dragon's snout without thinking about my actions and it happened that I didn't notice Viggo narrowing his eyes behind me.

As I turned back around, he was gone. Confused, I looked at Gobber, who shrugged. "Well he just disappeared." 

_Crap. I have to find him again, keep him occupied so that the others can free the dragons. And maybe I can find out why I was dreaming of him so much, who is he and who am I?_

_"_Let's find him." I told Gobber and started to look out for him. After a while, we came across a big tent made of dragon skin. The sight of it made my skin crawl but a strange invisible force drew me nearer. _Maybe I could have a look inside? _

I turned to Gobber. "Gobber, please you've got to keep watch." 

"Are you crazy, lassy? Stay outside!"

"Gobber please, I have to!" I pleaded. 

He sighed in defeat and eventually brought his attention to a big dragon coming along eating old spare metal. "Alright, I stay with this big guy here, hey Grump? But whatever you're up to lassy, hurry! Viggo can be back any minute."

As I entered the tent, I let the sight of my surroundings soak in. Somehow it felt so familiar to be here. Slowly I walked up to a large wooden desk standing in the middle of the tent and let my hand run over the frame of another game board of maces and talons. I took every figure in my hand to take a closer look. Then another thing popped into my view, across from the large desk stood a low, dark wooden cupboard with a bouquet of beautiful white lilys on top. I approached it and touched one smooth petal carefully before I decided to open the first drawer. It was empty except for a small bracelet made of brown and white little sea shells. I took it out to get a better look and my heart dropped as a memory hit me. _I made this. I collected the shells, I assembled the bracelet, I gave it to him. _Completely shocked I didn't notice the loud thump of a dropping body outside the tent.

"Found anything of interest?" 

My heartbeat nearly stopped as I felt his hot breath in my ear. Viggo was looming over me, the spikes on his belt dug into my back uncomfortably as he slowly leaned forward to take the bracelet from my hand. 

"If you don't mind, I will take back what is mine my dear lady."

I felt like his presence would suffocate me, the weirdest memories spinning around in my head, his musky but oddly familiar scent filling my nose and as he brought my arms behind my back I could feel cold metal cuffs close around them. _What's going on? _

"Now let's go see your little dragon rider friends, shall we?" He almost purred. My eyes widened.

_He knows._

**Hiccup's POV**

_"_Come on Toothless, let's get these dragons." I whispered. But nothing happened, I turned around to see Toothless collapse on the floor, a dragon root arrow sticking out of his back. _What's happening?_

"My dear Hiccup, I have to say I am deeply impressed. Trying to keep me occupied while you and your little friends free all of my dragons."

I spun around in terror to see Viggo walking slyly up to me, his hands behind his back. Right behind him stood Ryker, he had Lilly and all the others enchained and gagged. All of our dragons were out cold with dragon root while Meatlug had been muzzled and put into a cage.

I clenched my fists and spat out through gritted teeth. "How did you know?"

Viggo chuckled lowly. "One look into the eyes of your little fake lady told me everything. She would never buy a dragon, let alone kill it for its skin. What I want to know my dear Hiccup is, how did you figure it out? Bringing a young red haired girl to play the part, because you knew what it would do to me, of what it would remind me, that it could distract me enough for your victory."

"What are you talking about?" I was truly confused. 

Viggo brought his face close to mine. "You know exactly what I mean. Very well, it doesn't matter how you managed to find out, you crossed a border that I will not tolerate. You and your riders have caused enough trouble to me and my business...this ends today. Once and for all."

My heartbeat sped up, "What do you mean?"

Viggo's lips upturned in the tiniest of cruel smiles. "Today I shall witness the death of you and your riders. As you are the leader, I figure I should start with you."

**Lilly's POV**

I hated him, very suddenly and very intensely. Whatever role he might have played in my past, this man before my eyes was nothing like the boy I knew from my dreams. He was a monster. Then an idea hit me, I tried to reach out to the dragon called Grump, that Gobber met on our search for Viggo earlier today. _"Grump, Grump do you hear me?" _

_"Yes?" _I heard his low voice in my head. 

"_Grump, you have to free the dragons, all of them, bite through every single cage. Hurry!" _

I hope this will work out. Then I tried to reach out for Shadow. "_Shadow? We are in trouble." _

Her voice resounded almost instantly in my head. "_I'm coming for you." _

_"But that takes too long." _

_"I followed you, I will be right there. Didn't think I would let you out of my sight, did you?" _

**Hiccup's POV**

Completely shocked I watched Viggo pull out his sword when the sound of screaming men and roaring dragons grew louder.

_"_THE DRAGONS ARE FREE!"

"NIGHT FURY!"


	16. Chapter 15 - Aftermath

**Lilly's POV **

"How is this possible?!" I heard Ryker scream as he tossed me to the side ruthlessly to check what was going on in the camp. Landing hard on my right shoulder I hissed in pain before looking back up at the scene displaying in front of my eyes. 

Viggo had his sword still raised and moved towards Hiccup who backed away slowly with hands raised and obviously trying to argue with the older man. _No, I can't let this happen._

I tried to get up as fast as I could, however my still chained hands and that unnecessarily long dress was making it kinda difficult. Finally I was back on my feet, I started to run instantly towards Hiccup. Viggo was about to strike but stopped the blow immediately when I jumped in between. 

"No!" I screamed. "Don't do this! Please!"

**Viggo's POV**

She stood between Hiccup and me, breathing heavily and screaming at me to stop. And I did, I stopped dead in my tracks as the sight of her hit me.

Her copper hair that was braided when I first saw her, was now hanging loosely in her face, her deep blue eyes were sparkling with rage and hate. I couldn't bear it. 

The sword hit the ground with a metallic sound. I felt like couldn't trust my mind anymore, like I was seeing a ghost from my past form right in front of me. What an evil twist of fate, to make this girl look like ... _her_. 

She frowned for a moment only to raise her gaze upwards to a black form darting towards us.

**Lilly's POV**

_He actually stopped. I didn't expect that. _

"Shadow!" I cried out as I spotted her darting towards us. 

Viggo stumbled back in utter shock of the other Night Fury landing next to us. Shadow growled threateningly at him before she shattered the metal cuffs with a small plasma blast. Fortunately they weren't dragon proof. I hopped on Shadows back instantly, dragging Hiccup along with me. I dared to look back to Viggo one last time, our eyes locked and I felt like he would look right into my soul. _  
_

_"Shadow, fly off." _I couldn't stand his intense gaze. _I need to get out of here.   
_

_"Let's go help the others." _I said as Shadow took off into the sky. Hiccup held onto me tightly. 

"What was that all about?" he cried out.

"I don't know, Hiccup. But we got to help the others and free the dragons." Turning my head I could see his determined look. 

"Let's do this, we have to save Toothless." 

"I have a plan, trust me Hiccup!" 

"Always." He squeezed my arm slightly and I smiled at his sign of trust.

"_Shadow fly near to the center of the camp."_

As soon as we arrived I tried to reach my mind out to all of the dragons flying around. I had never done this before and had no idea if it would work or not.

"_Dragons! Listen to me! We have come to set you free. Please help us saving our friends, take the unconscious dragons and their riders. Follow us to Dragon's Edge where you can be free. And burn down this place of slavery!" _

My head was spinning from exhaustion, but I could hear the dragon's roar in agreement before my world went black.

Time skip to the Edge

"I think she's finally waking up." _  
_

_What? What happened? Where am I?_

I tried to sit up but felt a sharp sting in my head so I decided to just open my eyes. I was surrounded by the gang. "What happened? How long did I sleep?" I asked barely above a whisper. 

"What happened? Well the dragons went crazy and then they blew the whole camp up! It was freaking amazing!" Tuffnut cheered beyond excited and everyone agreed.

"It really worked?" I asked in utter disbelief. "Wow... I didn't expect that."

I tried to laugh but it made my vision spin again. Hiccup took my hand in his, squeezing it gently. "You were unconscious for two days now. What did you do Lilly?" he asked. 

"I tried to reach out to all surrounding dragons." 

"Wow."

_I wonder if Viggo is ok. But why should I even care, he is a dragon hunter, a bad person, he tried to kill us. But still..._

My thoughts were however interrupted by an overly excited Night Fury, jumping on top of me while knocking everybody else down and licking my face. "Ew Shadow!"

Everyone laughed.

Unnoticed from all of us, a strange figure sneaked away, hopping on a boat and sailing off the edge. An evil grin on his face. A dragon Whisperer, the figure thought, I know someone who might have great interest to know about this.

Time skip to the night

This night I couldn't sleep, the memories of what had happened, the memories of Viggo, haunted me. I haven't told Hiccup anything about my dreams yet, I wasn't sure if it was the right time. _I need to figure it out myself first. This is useless, I need a swim to clear my head. _

Cautiously not to wake Hiccup or the both dragons up, I sneaked out of the hut and spurted down to the shore. Tossing my boots aside, I jumped into the dark water. It felt wonderful, like flying on my own. Finally I was free again. I glided through the dark blue for what felt like hours, not caring how far I went. 

Lost deep in my thoughts I didn't realize I was diving right into a big fishing net until it was too late. Soon enough I was entangled, struggling to free myself as I felt the net was brought slowly but steadily to the surface. Panicking I struggled even harder, but it was hopeless.

As soon as I was brought up on deck of a big ship I heard a scary familiar voice.

"Well, well what do we have here?"


	17. Chapter 16 - Captured

**Lilly's POV**

I looked up from my entangled position to find myself face to face with Ryker.

His cold dark eyes held an evil glimmer that caused a shiver to run down my spine and he grinned widely. "Looks like I caught myself a little mermaid." He burst out laughing due to his own joke and the surrounding dragon hunters joined in. _  
_

_Uh oh, this is bad, this is really bad. Why was I so stupid to swim out that far, to sneak away in the first place? _

"Let's have a look at what we have here." Ryker cheered as he drew his sword to cut through the ropes. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up with him before eying me up and down. "You're that little fake lady." he snorted, his gaze was freaking me out, I knew those dark eyes. 

_"Rykie, Rykie, come play with me, please?" I was jumping up and down in front of the big dark haired boy, tugging at his arm impatiently but he shoved me away.   
_

_"No, go and play with Viggo like always." The boy grunted, obviously annoyed by my presence. I looked at him pleadingly: "But you never play with me. Please?"   
_

_He pushed me to the ground rather harshly and I let out a small cry of pain before I heard him hiss: "It's all your fault! Mother is dead, because of you! I will never play with you, do you understand?" His hateful glare brought tears to my eyes as I ran down the hall._

"Set sail back to the camp, Viggo will find this interesting." He ordered before looking back at me. "You and your little dragon rider friends cost us all of our dragons, today you're going to pay for our loss. Where's your dragon?" 

My heart was hammering in my chest as the feeling of terror and hate swept through me. I spat him right in the face. I knew it was a bad move even the moment I did it, but my pride mixed with the emotions caused from strange memories got the better of me. The consequences followed instantly. Ryker backhanded me so hard, I wondered how I didn't pass out, I fell to the ground, my ears rung and vision spun. I felt numb and sore. Wiping saliva off his face, Ryker brought his face close to me, smirking devilishly. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson?"

_"Lilly?" _I sensed a voice in my head. _"Is that you?"   
_

_"Jali!" _I felt hope rising in my chest. "_Get help, quick- get Shadow and Hiccup." _

**Viggo's POV**

Absentmindedly I let my fingers graze over the smooth texture of the little seashells on the bracelet my little sister once made for me while I was sitting at my desk. We had to set up a new temporary camp after the catastrophe at the auction. All of our dragons were gone, most of the cages and weapons were destroyed. It would cost me a fortune to fix everything. Hiccup and his dragon riders had won another victory, still I couldn't stop thinking about that girl and the night fury. _How could Hiccup know? And how did he not only find that girl who looked so much like her but also a Night Fury, that reminded me so much of how I got my scars? It couldn't be her, this was impossible. Only wishful thinking, things like this can't come true._

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard loud voices coming from outside my tent. The men were cheering and yelling. I frowned, the disturbing noises annoyed me. Ryker has to be back. _I wonder what's going on. _

Deciding to have a look, I stepped out of the tent. In the distance I spotted several of my men, tossing something around. Then Ryker's bulky form came into my vision, he sat next to the fireplace, a smug grin on his face as he watched the scene before him. Narrowing my eyes I stepped up to him. "What's going on, big brother?" my voice came out lowly.

He turned to face me, his grin grew even wider. "I captured one of the dragon riders. The new one, you know that red haired brat, who tried to fool us at the auction."

My heart dropped, bringing my face close to my brother's I hissed: "Where is the girl?" 

Ryker chuckled, it gave me chills, I had a bad feeling. My brother shrugged. "Thought she was in need of a lesson, for what she and her friends cost us." 

Anger rose in my stomach as I grabbed Ryker by the scruff of his neck. "Where is she?" I repeated lowly. Knowing my brother, I feared he would have harmed her and oddly enough I did not want her to be hurt. 

Seeing the rage in my eyes, Ryker's eyes widened before he admitted: "I gave her to the men, thought they would deserve some amusement after what happened."

I punched Ryker in his face, hard - breaking his nose. "Have you lost that little mind of yours?" I boiled with rage.

**Lilly's POV**

The world was spinning around me, my vision still blurry from the impact of Ryker's stroke as I was tossed around by the yelling group of men.

"Come give the bitch to me!"

"Who's first?"

"Don't worry she'll get a taste of us all!"

Their exclamations scared me to no end even though I didn't know what they meant I knew it had to be bad, really bad.  
_No, no I need to get out of here! _

I tried to focus on one man at a time to get a chance to kick or hit but my head was spinning, I could hardly see straight. After a while of fruitless kicking around, I finally managed to punch a fiercely looking hunter in the face. He growled at me.

"Maybe you won't be so cocky if we brand you, mark you the property of the dragon hunters, huh would you like that?"

Two other men pinned me down to the ground while I watched in horror as the hunter put out a long metal rod from the fire, slowly approaching me. My heart was drumming loud in my ears and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the stinging pain to come. But nothing happened.

Hearing a painful scream, I dared to open my eyes again. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Viggo towered above the hunter, pressing the brand to his very own face before he tossed the hot metal rod aside. 

"Is there anyone else?" he growled. 

Instantly I felt the grip on my arms loosen and I slumped down on the ground before I was picked up again and carried away. I dared to peek up and found it was Viggo carrying me to his tent. _No. _I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it was useless, he was far stronger than me.

As soon as he entered the tent, he put me down on what seemed to be his bed covered in fur blankets. I backed away as far as I could, terrified to my bones and panting heavily.

Viggo however didn't pay much attention to me. I watched as he got up, crossing the room to pick up what seemed to be a small bowl and a piece of cloth. He sat down next to me. "You're hurt." His voice was low. He reached out to wipe my face with the wet cloth, but I slapped his hand away. He tried again, I slapped his hand again. I heard him growl lowly in annoyance. Obviously he was not used to being rejected. He sighed. "You don't have to be afraid. I won't touch you."

_What? _I lifted my gaze to his face, bewildered about his sudden change of heart. "Why?" My voice sounded weaker than I intended. 

Viggo snorted and frowned. "Because I am not an animal and it happens that you remind me of..." he paused "...someone." 

_Is he remembering me too? Maybe he had dreams too?_

I looked at him curiously, tilting my head. "Is it how this happened?" Hesitantly I reached out to touch the big scar along his neck. His gaze, that softened before grew hard again as he grabbed my wrist tightly, preventing me from touching him. 

"That's none of your business." he growled.

Eventually he reached out with the wet cloth again and I let him clean my face off my dried blood. I hissed in pain at the contact. His features softened again as he tried his best not to hurt me more than necessary. Deciding I was clean enough now, he got up and stepped over to his desk, pointing to the food that was set out on it. _He must have had dinner before Ryker arrived with me. _

"Come, eat." I heard him say. However I remained in my current position. _What is he up to? _  
Viggo sighed again. "Very well then." He sat down, starting to serve himself.

After a few moments of silence he spoke up again. "If you're not going to eat anything, then sing. I am assuming you dragon riders also enjoy having musical accompaniment during your meals."

I looked at him, utterly surprised by his odd request. "What?"

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. "You heard me. I won't repeat myself."

My heartbeat sped up again and I trembled slightly at his stern voice. It was not a request, it was an order.

"B-but I don't know any songs."

"I find that hard to believe." he scoffed.

Closing my eyes I breathed in heavily. "Only one...b-but it's not very suitable, it's a lullaby."

His eyes locked with mine, dark brown met deep blue.

"Well I guess that will have to do for now." He made a small gesture with his hand, showing his impatience.

My mind was racing, trying desperately to remember the song.

"I'm waiting."

Taking in a shaky breath I started to sing the lullaby from my dreams. The lullaby, the boy with Viggo's eyes sang to me when he held me in his arms as a little child.

_"Down, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies. _

_High, high on a hill, my little lily love. _

_West wind in your hair, tied up in golden daisies. _

_She's chasing you down, my little lily love. _

_You hide and seek high and low, in every corner of my soul._

_I almost hear the sound of your heart beating. Oh, like it's my own, my little lily love. _

_You hide and seek every day. You just get farther away. _

_What, what kind of world would take a sweet wild flower and pull it up from the ground, my little lily love? _

_Oh, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies. I'll never forget my little lily love..."_

Opening my eyes again, I saw Viggo staring at me in shock.

The cup he held a moment before was rolling around on the floor, the liquid streaming along like a tiny river.

He was breathing heavily as he walked over to me. My heart skipped a beat.

He was only inches apart from me, his hand reaching out every so slowly to touch my cheek.

"Lilly?" he breathed out, barely audible.

I tilted my head lightly, frowning. "Yes?"


	18. Chapter 17 - Brother and Sister

**Lilly's POV**

Staring wide eyed I watched Viggo sit down beside me. Slowly he reached his hands out and I let him touch my face. I felt his warm and lightly rough fingers trace along my cheekbones, up to my eyebrows and back down to my chin while he let his other hand run gently through my curly hair. 

"This is impossible." he breathed. 

The look in his eyes a mix of shock and awe and something else, something I saw in his eyes before when we were kids. _  
_

"I saw you sinking. How can this be?" He was visibly trembling. It was like he was a whole new person, nothing close to the Viggo I encountered two days ago. 

Tilting my head I asked: "Who are you?" 

He let his hand drop to hold onto the bed frame. "You don't remember me?"

I shook my head lightly. "But I've been dreaming of you."

"You did?"

I nodded. "But you had no beard."

He laughed at this. "I guess I was younger." Viggo inhaled deeply. "Where have you been?"

I smiled, thinking of my best dragon friends. "I lived with Shadow and Jali."

"And who might that be?"

"My dragon friends, they saved me from drowning when I was little. I don't remember that day though." I knitted my brows, trying to remember.

"I do." I looked up at him, a sad expression showing on his face. "It was the day I lost you, little flower."

"You used to call me that in my dreams, why?"

"Because that's what you are, my little flower. My little sister, my blood." He touched my cheek again as my eyes widened in realization. _He is my brother._

"How could a dragon save you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in disbelief.

I put my hand on top of his on my cheek before bringing both our hands down, fingers interlacing. Smiling again I answered."I don't know, but they did. Jali and Shadow cared for me and protected me. They're family."

Viggo squeezed my hand and shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot believe this, they're just animals. Still here you are, alive and unharmed." His expression turned sad again. " All those years you were out there and I didn't try to find you, not once."

"You didn't know." I tried to reassure him. Then I saw something strange glistening in the corner of his eyes. A tiny tear dripped and ran along his cheek. I had never seen another person cry since the day I got lost, so I reached out with one finger and tipped it away, rubbing the wet substance between my fingers and not realizing that my own cheeks were coated in tears too.

"My gods...and if I just think what I almost did at the auction..." Viggo's voice trembled with regret and he buried his face into the palm of his hands.

I leaned over and put my hand on his shoulder, feeling my own heart aching at seeing him this sad. "It's okay...nothing happened to me now and also...thank you."

He let his hands drop again. "For what?"

"For saving me...you know out there...with the men..." I shuddered at the memory.

Another tear slipped from his eye and I startled a little as he pulled me into his arms for a tight hug. "Oh gods Lilly...it's you...it's really you, I cannot believe it..." He sobbed and sucked in the scent of my hair. I could feel the wetness of his tears soaking into my locks as he rocked me gently back and forth and without really knowing why, I just let him do this. 

We sat like this in silence for a while, well silence aside from our sniffs and sobs and the sound of Viggo kissing at the top of my head but eventually I felt tiredness take over me.

I yawned and Viggo pulled me down with him, tugging me in under the fur blankets on his bed. _Just like it was in my dreams. _

I fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me. Even though I just met him it felt oddly natural and familiar like it was meant to be this way.

That night my dreams of the strange boy ended and never came back again, it was also the first night in thirteen years Viggo was not haunted by nightmares about me.

The sun was not yet up when we were woken by a loud cry. Startled, I jumped out of the bed and ran outside. _No, this can't be true! _

"Leave him alone!"


	19. Chapter 18 - To hunt or not to hunt

**Lilly's POV**

"Jali!" I cried out as my eyes fell on the big blue dragon. Four dragon hunters were dragging him out of the water, they put a muzzle on his snout to prevent him from boiling them. Furious, I spurted down to the shore and hopped onto one of the hunters back, yanking him backwards while yelling: "LET GO OFF HIM!" However the man was obviously stronger than me because in the next instant I found myself on my very own back, a sword at my neck. Panting heavily I glared at the grimly looking hunter.

"I would not do that if I were you." Viggo's voice sounded threatening as he approached the hunter who had me still pinned to the ground.

Immediately I was released and the man backed away muttering words of apology._ I bet he remembers what Viggo did last time one of his men wanted to hurt me. _I smiled a little before I jumped back to my feet, ready to run to Jali. But Viggo grabbed my arm, keeping me from running and hissed, only for me to hear: "What was that all about?"

I struggled to get out of his grasp, but he would not have that. Groaning in frustration I pointed to the big dragon, who was now completely enchained. "This is Jali! He is my friend, let him go!" _"Jali are you alright?" _

He looked at me frightened. _"I followed the ship, I wanted to save you."_

_"Oh Jali, you shouldn't have. I think I must not feel afraid around him. He's my human brother." _

Jali's eyes widened as he watched Viggo intently. "This is the Scauldron that saved you?" Viggo looked back at Jali and they stared at each other for a few moments, then I felt Viggo's grip on my arm loosen. Turning to the surrounding hunters he said: "Free the dragon."

They looked at him, not believing their ears. "But, Sir?"

However Viggo's sight did not allow any arguments and eventually they released Jali from his chains. As soon as they removed his muzzle, I ran up to my big friend and hugged his neck. My fingers traced along his smooth scales and he purred in joy. When I finally drew back, I turned around to find Viggo staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. _I should thank him._

Smiling happily I pulled him into a tight hug and after a hesitant moment he returned it. "Tell your dragon he must go." he whispered into my ear.

I frowned, "Why?"

"We're dragon hunters, that's no place your friend should be. Tell him to go and then come, we have a lot to talk about." I nodded slowly and turned my head to Jali. "Go Jali, it's okay. Stay away from this island, I don't want you to be captured again." I said half-heartedly. I watched Jali disappear in the blue sea when I felt Viggo's hand on the small of my back, pushing me lightly forward.

Back in his tent, Viggo pulled me into another hug before he kissed my forehead. "There are no words that could describe how happy I am to have you back." He looked at me lovingly. "Now come, let's sit down. I have so much in mind, you and I will be together like in old times."

"What's going on here?" It turned to see Ryker at the entrance of the tent, his nose was swollen and lightly blue.

Viggo stepped up to him, hands behind his back and cheered. "Big brother, what a nice surprise of you joining us. How is your nose doing? Never mind, consider it as compensation for your attempt to get our little sister raped."

Ryker looked utterly confused, he grunted: "Are you drunk?"

Viggo laughed "Of course I am not, just look at her." He pointed to all of me and slowly but steadily recognition showed on my big brother's face. Ryker's jaw dropped in shock. "How?"

"Oddly enough the dragon that almost ripped my head off, decided to save my little flower."

_Shadow did this? _I couldn't believe it. _She will have to explain later._

Viggo turned to me again: "Just imagine Lilly, we will return to our island and finally live together, travel together and hunt together." His hands on my shoulders, he smiled at me expectantly. "What do you think, little flower?"

Stepping back, I shook my head slowly: "I will not hunt dragons."

"But that is what we do, Lilly. It's in our blood." Viggo tried to convince me.

I felt anger rise in my stomach and my cheeks flushed with heat, clenching my fists I retorted: "No it is not. And you don't have to do it too. Please stop it Viggo, there are other ways to live."

Ryker burst out laughing. "There you go Viggo, our little baby sister talks exactly like that Haddock boy."

Viggo was getting annoyed, I could see it in his eyes as he tried to argue: "Lilly, we do not do this for fun! I am chief of our tribe, I am responsible for hundreds of people. I need to feed them, take care of their needs. How do you think I could do that without hunting dragons? Our tribe lived this way for hundreds of years and I will not change it now."

Shaking my head again, I pleaded: "Please stop it, you have no idea what amazing, wonderful, caring creatures dragons are. I can show you."

He thumped his desk with his fist. "This is not a game, Lilly!"

Just as I was about to retort, a loud BANG could be heard outside. For a moment a dead silence fell between us, before Ryker spun around and peeked out of the tent. "Dragon riders!" he yelled.


	20. Chapter 19 - Kidnapping a brother

**Hiccup's POV**

I knew there was something wrong the moment I woke up and found the bedside next to me cold and empty. Lilly had just disappeared and Shadow was freaking out, Toothless had to stop her from her attempt to bite my other leg off. As if it was my fault Lilly sneaked away in the first place. _Why does she keep doing this? _When I finally found her boots at the shore I knew she must have gone swimming. _But why didn't she return_? I had the bad feeling that something must have happened. Calling the gang, we started looking for her although there was only one person in the Archipelago who could actually have her.

**Viggo's POV**

"VIGGO!" a very familiar voice yelled outside the tent.

I brought my hand to my face and sighed in annoyance. "Does this boy have to poke his nose into everything?"

I couldn't help but notice the sparkle in Lilly's eyes as she heard the boy's calling, I didn't like it. She attempted to run outside but was stopped by Ryker grabbing her roughly by the arm. "Where do you think your going? Sister or not, you're still our prisoner." he growled. _Does he want me to punch him again?_

Lilly tried to wriggle out of his grasp. "Let go!"

"Ryker let her go, she is not _my _prisoner." I stepped up to them and glared at my brother. At least he did as he was told. Turning my attention to Lilly, I said: "Well maybe we should bid your little friends welcome and let them celebrate our family reunion with us." My words came out as a sneer and I felt her tensing up beside me, the expression on her face hardened but she took the arm I offered her anyway.

Stepping outside I saw Hiccup Haddock standing next to his annoying Night Fury. His little friends were flying in circles above our heads, out of reach of any arrows. A satisfied smile formed on my lips when I noticed the boy's eyes widen as he saw Lilly's arm in mine. However it faded away rather quickly when Lilly wriggled out of my grasp to run to the boy and hug him.

"Lilly you're okay, I was so worried." The way Hiccup looked at my little sister made an undeniable urge to punch him rise in my stomach.

**Lilly's POV**

As soon as I released Hiccup from my hug, I was knocked to the ground, the sudden impact drawing all air from my lungs. Shadow had me pinned beneath her and started to lick all over my face, purring happily. Laughing I tried to shove her away. "Ew Shadow, it's alright! I'm very happy to see you too."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Viggo staring at me, not believing his eyes of what was happening right in front of him. _I bet he has never seen a dragon do this_. Shadow noticed him too and in an instant she jumped off of me and approached Viggo, growling – her eyes as thin as slits.

Viggo backed away, I could see the fear in his eyes. "_Shadow, it's okay. Calm down! He won't harm me, he is my brother. He saved me actually."_ Shadow looked back at me in disbelief. _"Is this true?"_ I nodded. Instantly her blue eyes widened as she continued approaching my brother, sniffing him curiously before she knocked him down and started licking his face as well. Viggo cried out in shock, trying to get the big reptile off of him.

"What in the name of Thor!" I heard Hiccup gasp in surprise. Everyone was staring at the unexpected action of the dragon.

Laughing I pushed Shadow away and helped Viggo up. The bewildered look on his face made me burst out in laughter even more. "It's okay Viggo, I told Shadow you saved me, this is her way to say thank you."

"She wants to thank _me_?" he said, his voice breathless. I giggled. "How did you tell her, you didn't speak." He looked so confused. Smiling I put one hand on Shadows head, the other on mine. "I can hear her - inside my head." "What? Don't be silly, such things are impossible."

Getting angry, I crossed my arms exclaiming: "You know nothing about me, _brother_."

"Brother? Does anyone mind telling me what by Thor's hammer is going on here?" For a moment I had totally forgotten that Hiccup was still standing behind us. I wanted to speak up, but Viggo did first.

"My dear Hiccup, I think I owe you a thank you. If it wasn't for you and your plan to destroy my auction, I would have never found Lilly again. But I got to say, that I am curious. How did you meet my little sister?"

Hiccups face literally dropped. "Are you serious? Lilly, tell me Viggo is not really your brother?"

Again Viggo interrupted my attempt to speak up. "Oh but she is and I am very happy to have her back. Now if you don't mind I would ask you and your dragon riders to leave. There is a lot Lilly and I have to catch up."

Hiccup shook his head, utterly shocked before he looked straight into my eyes. I felt my knees going weak at the intensity in his emerald green eyes. "Lilly you don't have to stay here. You can still come with us, we're your friends. I'm your friend."

Viggo laughed darkly: "Oh Hiccup don't make a fool out of yourself. Lilly belongs to me, she will not turn her back on her new found family."

"You cannot force her to stay with you!"

Minute by minute I grew angrier and soon enough I could not bear to hear their arguing about what I should or should not do. Stamping my foot to the ground I cried out: "STOP IT! You're muttonheads, both of you!"

Hiccup and my brother stared at me. Still angry I hopped on Shadow's back. "_Shadow I have a plan." "I am all ears, love."_

Taking off, I let Shadow fly around in a circle before she shot down and grasped Viggo by his shoulders, bringing him up in the air.

He cried out. "Lilly, what by the gods are you doing?" I laughed brightly, looking down to my horrified brother. "Well what do you think? I'm kidnapping you."

I reached my hand out and helped Viggo climb on Shadows back. He sighed, out of breath. "One day, you're going to be the death of me, little flower."

I laughed again. Suddenly I noticed another form darting towards us. "Hiccup! What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, I told the others to head back to the edge. I will come with you, because I will not let you be alone with him." he pointed to my brother sitting behind me.

Viggo laughed dryly. "Oh my poor boy, do you really think I would harm her?"

Back at the camp, Ryker stood in front of the tent, not happy at all.


	21. Chapter 20 - Change of heart

**Lilly's POV**

"So mind telling me where you're planning to take me?" Viggo leaned forward to face me.

"I want to show you where I lived." I smiled brightly. Everything is going to be okay, I just have to show him and he will see. "But first I need to do something."

Laughing I stood up on Shadows back as she was gliding near the ocean surface and turned around to face my big brother. He looked at me worried and raised his hands. "Lilly please sit back down, you will fall!"

"Yeah, what are you doing Lilly?" came Hiccup's voice from the side.

I laughed at both of them and stepped back ever so slowly, till I stood on Shadow's head. Spreading out my arms, I winked at Viggo before I let myself fall. He cried out my name and I laughed again, enjoying the feeling of falling before I brought my arms above my head and splashed deep into the crystal blue water. _I love this, this is my element. Here I am free. _

Swirling around I reached out my mind to see if I would sense any dragons around. _"Jali, so good to see you." _My big blue friend appeared next to me and along with him the rest of his family. I dove between the herd of Scauldrons and reached the surface to look up. Shadow gave me her gummy smile and I waved up to my bewildered brother. Hiccup on the other hand laughed and shook his head at my childishness.

**Viggo's POV**

"What in the name of Thor!" My heart almost stopped its beat.

I could not believe my eyes, my little flower was swimming like a fish in the deep sea, surrounded by a herd of Scauldrons and yet they would not try to attack her. It was like she's a part of them.

"You know, she keeps doing these kind of things. You better get used to it." I turned to look at Hiccup, who laughed at the sight of my sister underneath us.

"She does? Is she not scared?" I couldn't believe it.

The boy shook his head. "No she's pretty wild, comes from the fact that she's been raised by dragons I guess."

"She was right, I really know nothing about her." Suddenly I felt a sting in my heart. All those years I had savored the picture of that little, helpless girl in my heart. Yet there she was, brave, strong and beautiful. She can take perfectly care of herself. _She doesn't need me anymore. _That thought was hard to bear.

"You know, I think she wants you to see her for what she is." Hiccup added before pointing to the horizon. "There, that's the island where I met her."

Time skip to island

The sight that unfolded before my eyes was breathtaking. Soft hills, covered by exotic trees framed the island. We landed on a white sand beach. The waves of crystal blue breaking softly on the shore. I hopped of Lilly's night fury. _Shadow I think? _And stood by the shore where Lilly popped out of the water and ran to us, beaming with joy.

"Lilly what were you thinking, you nearly caused me a heart attack!" I tried to scold but couldn't hide my smile when I saw the happiness in her face. I took her face in my hands and brought our foreheads together. "You truly amaze me, little flower."

Hiccup stood beside us rather awkwardly and cleared his throat. I inwardly rolled my eyes. _Always ruining the moment._

Lilly turned to face him and I couldn't help the feeling of jealousy rise in my stomach when she walked over to him an took his hand in hers smiling brighter than ever. Looking back at me, she took my hand in her other and cheered. "Come, I show you my home."

This place was truly stunning. Lilly led us to a clearing, next to a small pond. She showed me the nest her dragon had built and where they would sleep together every night. _This is incredible. _

Walking slowly up to the female night fury I reached out my hand, saying: "I guess I had a false impression of you and other dragons. Now I can see, that you love my sister as deeply as I do. Thank you for saving and taking care of her. I have to apologize for my actions." The black dragon blinked and nodded, then I felt her snout touch my hand.

"Shadow says it's alright. And she can see you love me too. She is also sorry for hurting you." Lilly stood close to me and touched my scar. I had to fight back tears as I turned to Shadow and nodded lightly in understanding.

"Come, now we go swimming." Lilly dragged me to the pond and pushed me inside not minding my clothing.

Soaking wet I came to the surface to find Hiccup and her laughing like fools. Smirking mischievously I grabbed her: "That calls out for revenge."

For the longest time, I felt alive again.

Time skip to the evening

**Lilly's POV**

Lying on the beach, the crackling campfire behind me, I allowed myself to enjoy the moment, feeling the warm sand between my toes, my gaze up to the clouds. Viggo had gone to fetch more firewood when I felt a familiar form lay down beside me. Turning my head I found myself lost in deep green eyes. "Hey." he breathed.

"Hey." I whispered.

"So you know who you are now. He's actually not such a bad guy, I didn't expect that."

I smiled, "Yeah, I'm happy Hiccup. I hope it stays like this."

"Me too." He leaned in closer to me and finally locked our lips into a kiss. I felt a firework spark in my belly. _Oh I've missed this. _

"Hrmhrm"

Startled, Hiccup and I pulled apart as Viggo towered over us, arms crossed and frowning.

Hiccup came to his feet abruptly, his face bright red as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Hiccup, may I have a word with you?" Viggo's eyes allowed no refuse.

"Aah, sure.. I guess." Hiccup stammered.

Viggo looked at me. "In private, Lilly."

Rolling my eyes I got to my feet and whispered: "Be nice." to Viggo before I left to join Toothless and Shadow.

**Hiccup's POV**

_So it's official, I am going to die now. _

Viggo wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we walked along the beach together. This couldn't get anymore embarrassing.

"So my dear Hiccup, you seem to enjoy kissing my little sister." Viggo said, his voice matter of fact.

_Okay it can get even more embarrassing, can't you just get over it and kill me. Quickly would be preferable._  
"Uh, yeah ... I guess?" My cheeks burned.

Viggo stopped and turned to face me, both of his hands rested on my shoulders. His stern gaze freaked me out.

"Do you love her?" his voice was low.

"What? Woah...well that's a bit soon to tell..." Viggo's gaze darkened as I stammered, so I quickly added, "...but yeah...yeah I think I am falling in love with her..."

Viggo squeezed my shoulders a little harder as he brought his face close to mine.

"That's good. But I want you to know something. You think you're in love with her, but I truly love her. You have no idea what she means to me, she is _my_ little flower. And if I ever find one of the beautiful petals of her heart broken or hurt, I will end your life. Have I made myself clear?"

My heart was drumming in my ears, I couldn't speak. Immediately Viggo let go of me and his lips curled into a satisfied smile. He turned to the night sky, hands behind his back and said in the most casual way. "It's truly a beautiful night, isn't it Hiccup? Come, let's head back to Lilly and have dinner."

Then he walked away as if nothing ever happened and I let out the biggest breath in my life.

_Oh dear... Why do I have to fall in love with the sister of Viggo Grimborn? Typical...such things tend to happen to me_ _._


	22. Chapter 21 - Peace is a fragile thing

**Ryker's POV**

Two weeks have passed since my baby sister has risen from the dead and Viggo is not to be recognized. That little brat seemed to have brainwashed him. We won't hunt any more dragons he said. What nonsense, he is denying what we are, what our blood tells us to do. Dragon hunters thats who we are, who I am. Still Viggo has always been a sissy. It's all her fault, I should have weighed her and thrown her back into the sea in the first place. Nothing of this would have happened. She keeps ruining my life since the day she was born.

Deep in thought I was sitting in a tavern, already emptying my third mug of ale when a stranger stepped up to me, his face hidden beneath his cloak. Slowly I looked up and recognized who it was.

"What do _you _want?" I snorted.

"Ryker, what a pleasure to meet you here. I've heard of your recent family reunion. My congratulations, you must be overwhelmed by joy."

I grunted in disapproval.

The man chuckled lowly and sat down opposite of me.

"I've also heard your brother is reconsidering his ways of business. Very interesting indeed. How come the sudden change of heart?"

I thumped my mug on the table and growled: "That girl must have bewitched him. I always knew something was _wrong _with her."

"Now, now, that sounds not very good. But maybe I can help you. I've been looking for you."

That surprised me. "Why that?"

The man leaned forward. "I was always thinking that you would make the better chief, you have the strength and the passion about dragon hunting that your tribe needs. You always had my respect, master Ryker. Maybe we could be partners. One hand washes the other. So I would like to make you an offering."

"What kind of offering?" I was all ears.

The man spoke again, barely audible. "It just so happens that I know someone who would support me with enough gold and men to help you take over your tribe. I can make you chief. I trust, that you will not end hunting dragons?"

Hmm, I like where this is going. "No I would never. But what do you want in return for your help?"

He smiled wickedly. "Well that's simple really. I just want the girl."

I didn't expect that and frowned. "What for?"

He hummed lowly. "I know someone who has great interest in her. That's all you need to know. So do we have a deal?"

"What about Viggo?" I asked, not convinced. "He will protect the girl."

The man laughed darkly. "When my plan sets in there will be no more Viggo Grimborn."

_He wants to kill him. Viggo and Lilly would both be gone for good and I can be chief. Still he is my brother...should I really do it?  
_

But then a rush of memories of the past left my head spinning. Since the day Viggo embarrassed me at the competition to become chief, I walked in his shadow. Everyone was so proud of him...everyone loved him...no one would praise the things I did for my tribe. No all the glory always went to Viggo and his smart ideas... So? Why would I not want to betray him? Why would I not want to see him fall? _  
_

_He will drag our whole tribe down for that little witch of my sister! No...now is the time for me to step out of my little brother's shadow...  
_

"So do we have a deal?" the hooded man reached his hand out to me.

After one last hesitating moment I took it. "Deal."


	23. Chapter 22 - Returning Home

News spread fast within the Archipelago and soon enough reached the shores of Dragon Hunter island.

Lillian Grimborn, the daughter of chief Ragnar and his Lady Bryanna was alive and well. She and chief Viggo were expected to arrive this afternoon - what a news! 

Magnus Syndor, first counselor to Viggo and above that also the most trusted housekeeper of the Grimborn property in their absence, was rushing through the halls yelling orders to the servants.

"Get to work! Everything has to be nice and clean when chief Grimborn arrives." He clapped his hands to get the staff going and turned to a passing maid. "You - have you polished the tables and cabinets? The wood has to shine, I want to be able to see my face in it." She nodded obediently and turned to do as she was told. Magnus hummed in approval as he stepped over to another servant who was currently busy to brush dust from the large mahogany dining table. "Whipe, here and there! Set the table, bring the finest dishes. Today we have reason to celebrate, for Lady Grimborn will return home today." 

Yes that she would. A small smile tugged at Magnus' lips. He remembered how she had filled the halls with life when she was just a little child and who would have thought that he would get the chance to see her again after all those years. If only Ragnar was still alive to see this day.

He folded his hands behind his back and made his way out of the Grimborn estate. If he paid close attention, he could hear the handmaidens whisper to one another.

"So it's true, Chief Grimborn brings her home today."

"How could she have survived?"

"Do you think she's a witch?"

"I've heard rumors that she sold her soul to the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

"Poor Chief Grimborn, what do you think she has done to him to make him a slave to her will?"

Magnus grinned. Oh, they had no idea.

**Lilly's POV**

"Are you nervous?"

I felt the warm hand of my brother resting on my shoulder as the ship bounced along the waves, sending cold spray onto the deck. I sucked in the salty air, relishing the open sea. Soon we would arrive, soon I would face the island I came from, my old home. Dragon Hunter island. _We certainly have to rename it. _Turning to face my older brother I nodded slightly. "What if the people will hate me? You stopped hunting dragons because of me."

"Don't worry little flower, everything will be alright." Viggo squeezed my shoulder and smiled. "You know I've discussed this with Hiccup, he truly is a brilliant boy. He offered to share his plans for rebuilding the dragon caves - to use them for other purposes and with Berk as new trading partner we should be well supplied until we develop a new business concept. No need for the people to have concerns."

I sighed. "I hope you are right."

Shadow stepped up to me and nudged my side, purring in a calming way. Smiling I reached down and scratched her behind her ears. But there was something else bothering me. "Where is Ryker? I have not seen him for a while." _I wish I knew why he hates me so much._

Viggo narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, seems he has a hard time getting over my decision. Let him sulk for a while. He will return eventually. He always has."

I shook my head, not convinced. I had the strange feeling that there had to be more to it but I decided not to address it again. Looking back up I could make out a form appearing on the horizon. _We're here._

Time skip to dragon hunter island 

When we reached the dock I looked up to see a large group of people gathering around the port. It seemed like the whole town had come to get a glimpse of me. _Oh Thor._ Viggo noticed me tensing up and took my face in his hands to make me look at him.

"Everything is going to be alright, just focus on me and let them stare. It does not happen everyday that you get to see a person who was believed to be dead."

Gulping, I nodded and took the hand he offered me as we were about to leave the ship. _"Shadow stay close to me." _

_"Of course I will, love."_

Trying my best to ignore the gasps and stares of the crowd we made our way through crowded streets, up to an impressive mansion that sat on a hill at the edge of the town. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed people backed away as soon as Shadow came into sight, they started whispering behind their hands, pointing to me then Shadow. _I really can't have people staring at me like that. _

_"They keep staring at us." _I reached out to Shadow.

She chuckled. "_I bet they've never seen a dragon wander around freely before. Maybe I should scare them, just a little? Should be fun."_

_"Don't even think about it! We want them to like us, remember?"_

Shadows laughter resounded in my head. "_Just jesting, love."_

Entering the large house a tall man walked up to Viggo and me. His auburn hair was covered in grey, as was his three days beard, but his light blue eyes were glimmering with emotion as he looked at me. I could see more people standing behind him. _And the staring continues._

_"_Chief Grimborn, welcome back." the man bowed a little as he addressed Viggo. This whole situation was so odd to me. The concept of civilization still strange. 

Viggo sighed, pinched at the bridge of his nose. "By the gods, Magnus. The whole staff?"

The man called Magnus turned around to look at the group behind him, then back to Viggo. "I beg your pardon Sir, but we all wanted to welcome our Lady Grimborn and her dragon_."_ He eyed Shadow up and down with an interested shimmer in his eyes. Aside from all the others, Magnus seemed to be not afraid of Shadow.

"Very well then. As you all have heard, this is my sister and her Night Fury. I want you to treat her the same way you treat me. Now please leave us alone." Viggo turned to face me and smiled. "I want to show you something."

Viggo led me to a large room with a dark wooden floor. It had to be some sort of living room and seemed oddly familiar to me. The room was lit by several torches and I could see thick, velvet banners hanging from the walls. Two antique looking wooden chairs stood opposite of a dark red hand-woven rug in front of the fireplace, where the flames cracked soothingly. On the rug stood a small wooden table with a game board of maces and talons on top of it. But it was something else that caught my attention. On the wall beside me hung a painting, a portrait to be more precise. Slowly I stepped closer to get a better look. Standing right in front of it, I gasped as I looked into my very own eyes.

"That's our family portrait, see this is you and that's me standing right next to you. Behind us are Ryker and father. It hurt to look at that picture all those years but I couldn't bring myself to remove it. Thank the gods, I don't have to think about that any more." Viggo wrapped one arm around my shoulder while looking at the portrait.

"Father, I hardly remember him." I whispered, studying the features of the tall man on the picture. He had long, dark brown hair as well as a brown beard. He was wearing a dark brown armor and had a beige fur cloak wrapped around his shoulders. In his hands he held the same sword that Viggo owned now. I could hear Viggo sigh. "Father never got over mothers passing on, he could hardly bear to look at you. You look very much like her."

"She died when I was born, right?"

"Yes."

Blinking away the tears that were beginning to form in my eyes I asked: "What about the sword? Is it the same as yours?" Viggo turned to face me.

"Yes, father passed it on to me when I won the test to proof myself worthy of being chief. And someday I will pass it on to the next chief. Who knows, maybe it's you?"

I shook my head in bewilderment. "No, I could never do this."

Viggo laughed and pulled me into a hug. "Oh I am pretty sure you are able to master even greater things little flower. But let's not talk about such things, we have a lot to prepare before Hiccup and his father arrive to sign the peace treaty. That's going to be a big one. But first.."

Viggo walked over to the game board. "...mind refreshing your skills at Maces and Talons with me?"

I laughed as I walked over to him. "Sure, are you ready to lose?"

"I see you're confident, I like that." he joined in my laughter.

Looking at the figures on the board I picked one out to get a closer look. "Viggo is there always a traitor?"

Viggo sighed "Oh , my dear, in game as in real life, I fear there is."


	24. Chapter 23 - Peace Treaty

**Lilly's POV**

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" I cried out, truly frustrated.

For what felt like hours I struggled to get myself into the light green gown Viggo had chosen for me to wear. Today was the big day, the Berkians were expected to arrive soon and everyone around the island was busy with preparations.

The dress was truly beautiful, made of light green velvet embroided with silver threads forming the shape of lilys at the front. It was tied with a light silver sash and had to be laced at the back. And that's were the problem occurred. Only this time there was no Hiccup to come to the rescue. Remembering the incident a few weeks ago I blushed and felt a strange tingle rise in my stomach. Groaning in frustration I shoved the thoughts aside as I heard Shadow snickering behind me.

I shot her an evil glare. _"That's not funny Shadow!" _

_"Oh but it is Lilly, you should see yourself. Turning into a fine lady now, are we."_

Sighing I let myself fall back on my bed. _"No I am not! I cannot understand how other women manage to wear such dresses everyday. It itches and I could hardly breathe the last time. But I'll wear it if it makes Viggo happy." _

Shadow crawled on the bed beside me and purred. _"He's really good to you, I can see he cares for you a lot."_

"_Yeah, I know. It's still strange to be back here but it feels good to have him back in my life. I don't know why but when he's with me, I feel like I'm home." I think I love him already._

Shadow growled lightly and I laughed, stroking her back and belly. _"Beside you of course. Oh by Thor's hammer Shadow, you really shouldn't eat that much salmon, you're growing quite a belly." _

Shadow turned her face away from me and hid her face behind her claws.

_"Sorry Shadow I didn't want to insult you."_

_"It's not that Lilly, I am not eating too much my belly comes from something else."_

_"Huh?" _I tilted my head in confusion.

"_I am going to have eggs very soon."_

I must have stared at her like a dork for the longest time, because the feeling of Shadow's tail slapping on my head startled me out of my trance.  
_"Is anybody home up there?"_

_"I...uhm...Shadow but how?" _I managed to stammer.

Shadow turned her gaze away from me, suddenly finding the bedpost a very interesting thing to look at and grumbled: "_I am not going to explain the HOW to you. But Toothless and I well ... you know.."_

_"No I don't."_

_"Lilly! Stop it, that's embarrassing."_

Seeing my best dragon friend this flustered made me burst out in laughter. I giggled so hard that I fell off the bed with a loud thump. Shadow pouted and turned away from me. _"Oh come on Shadow, I am happy for you - you will be a great mother."_

Our conversation was interrupted by a light knock on the door.

Still out of breath from my fit of laughter I panted: "Come in!"

The door opened and a brown haired girl around my age entered the room hesitantly. Her eyes widened when her gaze fell on Shadow lying on my bed. I could see that she was terrified.

"It's okay, that's Shadow. She's just a moody overgrown lizard - she won't bite."

Shadow glared at me. _"Oh I'm going to bite you if you don't stop, you little annoying human." _

Laughing I stood up and walked over to the girl. "Come, I show you." I reached out my hand to her and her eyes grew even wider, but after a hesitating moment she took my hand anyway.

I gave her a reassuring smile and dragged the girl over to Shadow. Slowly I put her hand in mine down to touch Shadow's head. The dragon purred lightly to show the girl she meant no harm. I could hear her gasp. "What do you feel?" I asked.

The girl looked at me stunned. "I-it's soft and not slimy at all." I laughed again and Shadow joined in her very own way of laughing.

"No she's definitely not slimy. So what can I do for you?" I let go of the girl's hand.

She came back to her senses and bowed a little before saying: "Chief Grimborn sends me. He said you might have trouble getting dressed and told me to assist you, my lady."

I grinned. _Oh he knows me well._

"Please don't call me that, I'm Lilly. What's your name?"

Her eyes widened again. "I'm Martha."

"Well Martha, I would really appreciate your help, this dress is driving me crazy."

I turned around and Martha started to lace the dress for me. When she was done, Martha told me to sit down so that she could brush and braid my hair. "I never had anyone do this for me, it feels strange."

Martha smiled. "You really have beautiful hair my la- uh - Lilly. I'm surprised, you're nothing like the people say."

That caught my attention. "What do they say?"

Martha stopped her actions and blushed, realizing what she just said. "W-well some think you're a witch.."

"And what do you think?"

"I think that's nonsense, you are really nice. And I have noticed how chief Grimborn has changed since you live here. You know, he never laughed - we all thought that he was not able to laugh but since you're here he is another person, he seems happy for the first time. It's very uncommon for him."

I smiled and turned to face Martha. "Thank you, Martha."

She smiled back at me and continued to braid my hair. She braided two strands of hair from both sides of my head and brought them together at the back, leaving the rest of my curly hair unbraided.

Finally she was done and looked out of the window, her face literally dropped. I frowned. "Martha what's up?"

"D-dragons, people on dragons - they fly towards us."

"Oh that must be Hiccup and his father and that means I am LATE!"

I shot up from my seating position and spurted down the hall, leaving a very startled Martha and a laughing Shadow behind.

**Viggo's POV**

_Where is she? Stoick and the rest of the Berkians will arrive any minute. _

Standing in front of the great hall I paced up and down in anticipation. Finally I spotted her running towards the great hall, her red hair flying behind her. She stopped right in front of me, panting hard from running. "S-sorry.... I'm late...." she could hardly speak.

I chuckled. "They're not here yet, so everything is fine. You truly look beautiful, I see Martha did well with your hair." I gently brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah Martha is really nice, she seems to be the only one who doesn't think I'm a crazy dragon witch." she laughed lightly.

I frowned: "What?" _Don't tell me my people are really that stupid. _

Lilly shrugged and taking a closer look at her dress I noticed something else, a tiny toe peeked out from under her gown. "Oh by the gods Lilly, aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Putting her hands on her hips she giggled. "And put my feet in a cage?"

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed heavily. "We'll talk about that later. I see our guests have arrived."

**Lilly's POV**

Turning around, I saw Stoick and Hiccup flying on Skullcrusher and Toothless landing a few feet away from us. Behind them followed the whole gang and Gobber on Grump.

Stoick walked straight up to Viggo and they shook hands. "Well today is truly a remarkable day. I'd never thought that we would once sign a peace treaty with the dragon hunter tribe." Stoick spoke up.

"_Former _dragon hunter tribe." my brother corrected "And yes I agree, I would have never thought about that too, but all thanks to my little flower, Lilly here, we are able to celebrate this special day. Now shall we get started straight away?"

Viggo led Stoick into the great hall and everyone followed. Hiccup ran up to my side, smiling brightly. Feeling his gaze running up and down my body caused a shiver to run down my spine and I felt my cheeks heat up a little. He grinned: "Hello milady _no shoes." _I shot him a fake glare and he laughed. "Don't you dare to call me a lady." Hiccup laughed even more.

In the center of the great hall we all gathered around a big round table, where the council of our tribe was already seated and watched as Stoick and Viggo signed the treaty. Everyone applauded and cheered after the act was done and Stoick pulled my brother into a bone-crushing hug, Viggo's eyes grew wide and I couldn't help but giggle, remembering the last hug Stoick gave me.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Shadow walking lazily into the hall to join the other dragons. _I wonder when she will tell Toothless about the eggs. _I was ripped from my thoughts when I felt myself being pulled into a tight hug. "Lassy, so good to see you again. You know our Hiccup here won't stop talking about you." 

"Shut up Gobber!" I saw Hiccup blushing and hugged Gobber back, laughing. 

"It's good to see you too Gobber."

"Now that the treaty enters into force, let's have dinner together and celebrate this night with dancing and cheering." Viggo announced and invited everyone to take a seat.

_I am really happy, I hope it stays for a while. _I thought while taking my seat between Viggo and Hiccup.


	25. Chapter 24 - Of dancing and strangers

**Lilly's POV**

"It's so odd, sitting here at a table with the dragon hunters, having dinner." Astrid's low voice reached my ear as she took her place on Hiccup's other side.

Viggo heard it too, because I heard him answer. "I agree, my dear Astrid. It's not how I would have predicted our next encounter either, but I have to say that I am truly pleased with the way everything turned out." He raised his cup towards her and I watched Astrid blush lightly. Obviously she didn't expect that she was heard.

"And so are we." Stoick spoke up. "It's a pity your brother is not able to join us tonight. Is everything alright?"

Viggo's expression hardened for a minute before he answered in his most casual way. "There is no need to worry. Our dear brother seems to be very busy at the moment, but I trust that he will return in the near future."

This made me frown. _A lie, why is he lying about Ryker? _The truth was, we had absolutely no idea where our brother was at the moment nor did we know if he would ever return. I knew this circumstance burdened Viggo more than he would ever admit. Ryker is our brother after all, as much as a jerk he is - he is still blood.

As soon as everyone finished dinner, the music started to play and people started to dance.   
I laughed a little as I spotted Tuffnut dancing with a pretty brown haired girl from our tribe although he seemed lost to his very own kind of rhythm. The girl giggled at his strange moves and suddenly it hit me. _Oh, that's Martha. _

Shaking my head, I looked around to see where Viggo might be and spotted him talking to Stoick on the other side of the hall. Hiccup beside me clenched his hands open and closed and cleared his throat. I turned to look at him but whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by a tall man walking over to me. He had shoulder-long black hair and a three days beard. He was dressed in a dark brown armor, with a dark red cloak around his shoulders. He bowed a little and took my hand.

"My, my, Lillian Grimborn, how much you have grown and into such a fine young lady if I may add." His voice was like smooth gravel but the look in his light grey eyes made me uncomfortable. Should I know this man? He must be around the age of Viggo. However, before I could think of an answer, the man was talking again. "Well I reckon you don't remember me, so let me introduce myself. My name is Asmund Riber, I am part of the council. May I ask for this dance?" A smile small tugged at his lips as his eyes roamed over my whole body.

"Uhm... I am sorry, but I don't know how to dance." I stammered, feeling utterly intimidated and it was the truth, I didn't dance for the last thirteen years.

"Oh but I insist. Don't worry, I'll take the lead." He was dragging me towards the dance floor already.

Looking back at Hiccup I could see him clench his fists and grumble something under his breath.

However I couldn't pay much more attention to him as I realized Asmund was talking to me again. "What a wonderful night isn't it? And what a delightful occasion. Your brother seems so happy about your return that he decided to stop hunting dragons. That's truly remarkable. I've known your brother for years and that's not something he would do without a very good reason." He snaked one of his hands around my waist, pulling me near to him, while he took my hand with his other one. I froze when I felt his hot breath against my ear. "Mind telling me your secret?" My heart started racing and I tried to get away, but his grip around my waist only tightened and he pressed my body closer to his. "Come on, don't be so shy."

"Asmund! I am sure you don't mind leaving this dance to my sister and me?" _Viggo! Oh thank Thor._

Instantly I felt Asmund's grip loosen before he let go completely. He turned to face Viggo and they glared at each other for a moment before Asmund bowed a little and walked away. "Of course not, _chief_." Viggo looked at him intently as he walked away, his expression unreadable.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Viggo." He turned to face me and smiled softly. "Did he hurt you?" I shook my head. "Good. Be careful, Asmund was not entirely happy with my decision. I have to keep an eye on him."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

Viggo pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear and smiled again. "Don't worry about that, little flower. I'll deal with it. Now, may your brother have this dance?"

"But Viggo, I don't know how to dance." I stared down at my feet but looked up again when I heard him laugh.

"Come, stand on my feet, like in old times." He took my hand in his and I did as he told me, feeling like a little girl again. We both laughed at this.

**Hiccup's POV**

Leaning against the wall I watched Lilly dance with Viggo. She was standing on his feet and they were both laughing. Even though I knew they were siblings, I couldn't help the feeling of jealousy rise in my stomach. _I wish I was in his position now. _

I wanted to help Lilly get rid of that Asmund guy, but Viggo had been quicker than me. Not knowing what to do, I crossed my arms and watched the scene before me when something else caught my attention. A cloaked man stood in the corner near the entrance, his face could not be seen. _That's strange. _Suddenly I watched Asmund walking up to the stranger, whispering something to him. He then turned around as if to check something and they left the great hall together.

_Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this. _

I pushed myself off the wall and tried to sneak after them when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. Spinning around I came to face Lilly. She even giggled a little for making me jump.

"Why are you not dancing?" her eyes sparkled in the dim light.

"Well it seemed the lady I wanted to dance with was already occupied." I winked at her and she blushed a little.  
"Do you want to dance now?" I added quickly, scratching my neck.

She laughed brightly. "Oh gods, no. I'm horrible at it. Hiccup I need to get out of here."

"So what do you want to do?"

Taking my hand she came close to me and whispered. "Let's go on a night flight."

I grinned. "What a great idea."

Interlacing our fingers we sneaked out of the great hall to find our dragons.

The stranger completely forgotten for the moment.


	26. Chapter 25 - Night Flight

**Hiccup's POV**

After looking around for a short time we finally found Toothless and Shadow cuddled together in front of Viggo and Lilly's house. I couldn't help grinning when I saw the content expression on my dragons face. _That lucky rascal. _

Walking over to him, I nudged his side and Toothless opened his eyes a little, yawning. "Will you take us for a ride bud?"  
His ears perked up at this and Shadow stirred from her sleep beside him as Lilly tickled her underneath her chin.

In no time at all we were racing across the surface of the ocean. The mist of the waves splashed into our faces, cool and invigorating. Looking to my side I watched Lilly stretch out her arms, eyes closed and wind blowing wildly through her hair, she let out a cry of joy. Her excitement was infectious and I joined in her laughter. Our dragons circled and rose high before darting back down, causing my stomach to flip as we torpedoed along.

After a while however I noticed Shadow slowed down a bit. Toothless noticed it too, he turned his head and purred questioningly as he slowed down too to let the ladies catch up.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as soon as Lilly was within earshot.

Lilly stroked Shadows head and smiled softly. "Shadow is carrying more weight than usual. Maybe we should find a place to rest."

"Huh?" I looked at her quizzically and so did Toothless. I watched as both dragons shared a long look and suddenly Toothless jumped, almost causing me to fall.

"Woah, take it easy bud! What happened?" I cried out. _Oh I wish I could understand them. _Lilly laughed happily. "Toothless is very excited because he's going to be a daddy very soon."

"WHAT? Oh you little rascal! That's amazing bud!" Toothless turned to face me, showing his tongue and a big toothless grin. I patted his head, laughing. _More Night Furies, that's amazing. _

Still laughing, Lilly pointed to a beach coming into view below us. "Let's land over there."

Hopping off Toothless' back I still felt a little dizzy from the wild flight. Looking around I assumed that we were at the shore on the other side of Dragon Hunter Island. It was a beautiful starry night, the sound of crashing waves behind me was soothing. _It's not bad here._

"Hiccup, come I want to show you something." Lilly grabbed my hand and dragged me to the shore before kneeling down and stirring her hand in the dark water. "Look."

The water started to shimmer wherever she stirred it. "Wow, what's that?" I breathed.  
"Shadow says, it's shining plankton." Lilly smiled happily before looking up to me. Her eyes shining as bright as the water below us, I felt my heartbeat speeding up.

Suddenly she stood up straight and after staring like a dork for a moment, I blushed madly, as the realization of what she was doing hit me. "L-lilly what are you doing?" I felt like my words got stuck in my throat.

"Go swimming." She laughed at my perplexed expression and continued to wriggle out of her dress leaving her completely naked before she splashed into the water. Holy Thor! Did she just really?

My face was burning as a very familiar heat consumed my body and rushed straight down to my groin. Oh no, no, no... get a grip Hiccup!

**Lilly's POV**

Feeling the cool water surrounding my body, I swirled around. _I love this._

Breaking the surface I couldn't help but laugh at Hiccup's flustered expression.  
"Hiccup, come! The water is wonderful."

Hiccup slowly startled out of his shock and I tilted my head as I watched him squirm and let out a deep breath. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah...yeah sure." He stammered and scratched at the back of his neck.

"So? Are you just going to sit there and stare at me?" I asked, cocking my head in challenge. Finally a playful grin spread on his lips. I giggled as I watched him undress and take off his prosthetic, leaving him in nothing but his underpants.

He slipped into the water carefully but obviously had a hard time to stay steady with only one leg. Deciding to help him I ducked under water and dove towards him.

Hiccup startled as I came to the surface, only inches apart, splashing his face with water. The look on his face was hilarious and I burst out laughing again.

"Oh, so very funny Lilly." he tried to sound serious but couldn't hide his grin as he moved strands of his wet brown hair from his eyes. "Just wait till I get you!"

"You have to catch me first." I laughed, swimming away from him.

He chased after me for a while, but failed to catch me. _I don't know when I had so much fun the last time._

However, for a second I got distracted by a sound of our playing dragons coming from the shore and didn't pay attention to Hiccup, till I felt his arms wrap around me.

"Gotcha!" he whispered in my ear.

I turned around to look at him and once again I lost myself in his pure green eyes. "And what are you going to do about it?" _Did I really just say that? _  
I felt myself blushing and a strange but pleasant heat spread in my stomach at the feeling of his body so close to mine.

Hiccup brought one of his hands to my cheek and whispered: "This."

Then I felt his lips touch mine.

I was already kissing him back when I felt his other hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him.

Slowly he guided us back to the shore where Hiccup leaned over me, lowering me on to my back. He broke our kiss for a moment and stared down at me with an endearing look in his eyes. The dim moonlight was enough for me to see the flush on his cheeks which I was certain was matched by my own. "Are you okay with this?" he whispered, his voice sounding husky.

"Yes." was all I could breathe, the strangest feelings roiling in my stomach. Then our lips were together again, first soft then passionate.

I felt heat rip through my body as Hiccup went on to kiss at the corner of my mouth, then my jaw until he went lower to kiss at my neck while his hands tentatively moved up my side. My heart was thumping harder and I involuntary arched into the touches of his hands, my body seemingly not mine to control anymore. There was a foreign aching spreading in my core. Never had I felt anything like this before. It was utterly overwhelming.

I moaned lightly as I felt his lips move down to my collarbone. Gods...everything just felt so good. I opened my eyes, wanted to tell him this but instead I shrieked.

Hiccup startled and instantly let go off me. "Whats wrong?"

"We have an audience." I managed to breathe out while staring up into a pair of big green eyes that were looking down at me in curiosity.

Hiccup groaned in frustration, the magic of the moment gone. "Toothless! Well thanks, you useless reptile!"

Toothless chuckled in his own dragon way and rolled his eyes before he trudged back to Shadow.

"Maybe we should head back, before they start looking for us." I sat up, sighing and still utterly confused by my feelings.

Hiccup scratched the back of his head. "Yeah you're probably right. Where am I gonna sleep anyway?"

"You and your father stay in our house." I smiled and leaned in for another quick kiss before we got dressed again and headed back to town.

\------------

"Shh, come quickly." Taking Hiccup's hand I opened the front door, ready to sneak up into my room.

Well at least I tried.

"Mind telling me where you two have been?"

_Crap. _Turning my head I saw Viggo standing in the door-frame, arms crossed and eyebrows raised in expectation of an answer.

"Uh..hey Viggo, we just went on a night flight, you know nothing special...just Lilly showing me around." Hiccup stammered, his cheeks flushing.

"Is that so?" Viggo didn't sound convinced at all.

I squeezed Hiccup's hand in reassurance. "Yes, don't worry brother. I just needed fresh air."

Viggo rubbed his palm over his eyes and sighed. "Well it is late, you should go to sleep now."

"Yes, we will. Good night Viggo."

Still holding Hiccup's hand we were about to go upstairs to my room when I heard Viggo's stern voice once more.

"In your own bed, Hiccup."


	27. Chapter 26 - Mother

**Lilly's POV**

I tossed and turned but just couldn't fall asleep. My mind was racing as I recalled the events of tonight over and over again. Asmund ... Hiccup ... what happened at the beach....

Groaning I put my pillow on my face, already knowing that this was going to be a long night. _Oh, this is useless!_

After a few more minutes I decided to get up since there was no way I could fall asleep very soon and look for Hiccup.  
Careful not to wake Shadow, I got up and lit a candle before sneaking out of my room. The cold stone floor of the corridor felt icy to my bare feet.

However my search was not very successful. The house seemed like a maze of corridors to me since I only lived here for one week now and the darkness didn't help my sense of direction.

Soon enough I found myself in a complete different wing of the house. The air felt somehow colder here, like no one would ever consider to lit a fire for warmth. I shivered and felt goosebumps rise on my arms, I was only wearing my light nightgown. My curiosity got the better of me and I continued to walk down the corridor until I had to stop in front of a dark wooden door. I could feel a cold breath of wind blowing from the door crack and felt my heartbeat speeding up.

Yes, I know it's a bad habit and one day I am sure it will get me into trouble, but I couldn't fight the urge to know what was behind that door.

Slowly I grabbed the cold metal door handle and pushed. The door opened with a loud creak and I jumped, quickly turning around to see if anyone had woken up. But nothing, just silence.

Taking a deep breath I stepped into the dark room. Holding up the candle I could see a large bed on my left, made of dark wood, covered with thick fur blankets. On the other side of the room I could see a dressing table, made of the same dark wood. On the wall above hung a pair of worn out dark red curtains, a golden rope that was attached to them went down to the wooden floor. The room smelled musty and it was freezing cold, the fireplace abandoned for the longest time.

Stepping closer to the bed I noticed something on top of the blankets. Carefully I put the candle down on the floor, to take a closer look. It was a woman's robe, the dark red material felt soft in my hands although an unpleasant smell clung to it too. I frowned.

_I wonder who's room that used to be. _

Putting the robe back down I walked over to the dressing table. Now I could see it was carved with strange but beautiful dragon shaped ornaments. I traced the patterns with my fingers, raising dust in the process. On the table were all different kind of things. I picked up a small silver mirror, letting the cold material glide through my fingers before I noticed a small wooden box sitting in the right corner of the table. Carefully I picked it up and opened it.

Instantly I threw it across the room in shock as I heard the familiar melody of Viggo's lullaby sounding from the box. Panting heavily I picked it up again and closed it to stop the music. _I hope no one heard this. How can this be? Is it Viggo's? _

My heart was racing now and I put the box back to it's place. Letting my gaze wander upwards, the dark red curtains caught my attention. _I wonder what's behind. _Cautiously I reached out to grab the rope and pulled a few times. Slowly the curtains revealed what was hidden behind. Realization hit me hard and I stumbled backwards, tripping over something and landing on my butt as I gasped in shock.

"Mother..." I breathed, for no one to hear.

On the wall in front of me hung the portrait of a beautiful, red haired woman, standing beside a tall brown haired man and two young boys sitting in front of them. I already knew that the man was father. Getting back to my feet, I approached the painting slowly till I was face to face with my mother. She looked beautiful, wearing a dark green gown, her hair braided around her head and a happy smile on her lips. She was holding my fathers hand. Only then did I notice the way her middle was painted, she seemed to have a bump. _That's me, I guess._

I felt my throat tie up as tears started to run down my face. I couldn't help it. _This is too much, I need to get out of here._

Turning quickly around to grab the candle, I noticed a small notebook lying on the floor. _It must have fallen out of the box. _

I picked it up and ran out of the room, without thinking about shutting the door again. My vision was blurry from the tears streaming down my face, the halls were silent apart from the echoing sound of my sobs and the tapping of bare feet on stone. I had no idea where I was running to, when I was suddenly stopped by bumping into something big and warm.

"By the gods, Lilly. Why are you still awake?"

Looking up I found myself staring into dark brown eyes. I couldn't fight back my feelings anymore and buried my face into his chest, letting out a heartbreaking sob. Almost instantly I felt Viggo's arms wrap around me, his voice softened.   
"Sssh, what happened? Tell me, little flower, do I have to kill that Haddock boy?"

_What?_

Not able to speak, I shook my head, still crying. Viggo sighed heavily, before he picked me up and carried me back into the living room. I opened one eye and noticed the fire was still burning. _He must have been working. _Usually Viggo would stay up until late at night, always thinking about his chief duties.

Viggo sat down in a big wooden chair by the fireplace with me still clinging on to him. Carefully he lifted my chin and wiped away my tears with his thumb. "Don't cry, sis, everything is going to be alright. What is troubling you so bad?" The worried look in his eyes made we want to cry even more but I managed to say: "M-m-mother r-r-oom f-f-found." I held up the small notebook I found to show him.

"Oh, you found mothers room? I see." He gently pushed strands of my hair from my face and sighed. "I guessed it would happen sooner or later."

"I found this."

Viggo took the notebook from my hands and frowned. "That's mothers diary."

Curious I straightened a little in his lap. "Do you know it?"

He shook his head slowly.

Bringing my hand to his, I whispered. "Read it, please?"

He traced his fingers over the leather material and sighed. "Alright."  
Then Viggo started to read fragments of our mothers notes.

_Today I almost got caught, I have to be more careful when walking around the village. People start to notice me talking with the poor dragons, but I have to do it, have to give them at least some comfort before they face their fate. I know Ragnar will never stop hunting them, I tried to convince him so many times but he won't listen to me. Sometimes I miss my home, the salty islands, the ocean, my people who respect dragons. But I understand, I had to marry Ragnar for the peace between our tribes and that makes me proud. He is not a bad man, I think I could fall in love with him._

_~~~~~~~~~~_   
_I am a mother! Today my first son was born. Ragnar named him Ryker, he is strong and healthy. Ragnar says that one day he will be a great warrior, I hope that day doesn't come to soon._

~~~~~~~~~~  
_I cannot put into words how happy I am, I have now two sons. Viggo is not as strong as his brother was, but I can see that he has a strong will already. Ragnar takes Ryker away from me whenever he can, to teach him the traditions of his tribe, it burdens my heart. I feel like he is slipping away from me. I will not let go of Viggo that easily._

~~~~~~~~~~  
_After years of miscarriages I am now pregnant again. But Nanna said, I have to lie in bed most of the time. I feel weak, I was bleeding again today, but I pray to mother Freya every day and night to let my baby stay. I can't lose another one...not after what Ragnar and I did to conceive it...I just can't..._  
_My sons have grown so fast, Ryker turns more into a warrior every day, he is strong and his father's pride. A good hunter. He can be a bit rough sometimes, but I hope one day he will learn that a soft heart is no weakness. Viggo on the other hand is incredibly smart, he continues to amaze me and I know he has a kind heart, he would be a strong leader when he's fully grown up. I just hope Vidar won't cloud his mind with that stupid game of his all too much...life isn't all about Maces and Talons. _  
_My strength is leaving me, I can feel it. Whatever happens, I hope that Ragnar and my children will always be there for each other. That's what family does._

_My mother could speak with dragons too!_ Was the last thing I could think as I fell asleep in my brother's arms while listening to his soothing voice.


	28. Chapter 27 - The Ambush

**Lilly's POV**

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of something cold and wet on my face. Grumbling under my breath, I tried to shove away the overgrown lizard. "_Eeew, Shadow! Stop it!" _

Opening my eyes I looked into her big blue ones, she gave me a big toothless smile. _"Wake up, it's a beautiful day."_

Getting into a sitting position I rubbed my eyes. I was back in my room again. _Viggo must have carried me here._

Mothers notebook was lying on the bedside table next to me. I picked it up again and flipped through the pages. _My mother was just like me._

I felt a painful sting in my heart. If I only had seen her once.

My thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the door. I looked up and saw Martha coming in, carrying a tray with a steaming bowl on it. It smelled delicious.

"Good morning myla-, I mean Lilly. Your brother thought you might enjoy breakfast in bed this morning." Martha put the tray down on the bedside table.

I smiled, thinking about how much Viggo cared for me.

"Thank you Martha."

Shadow grumbled beside me. _"What about me?"_

I laughed. "_Well I guess you have breakfast with the other dragons." _

Growling lightly, Shadow walked out of the room. _That moody dragon._

While I was eating, Martha picked out some clothes for me. It's still strange to have someone do that for me. After getting dressed, I sat down at my dressing table, allowing Martha to comb and braid my hair once more.

"It was a wonderful night yesterday, wasn't it?" Martha spoke up.

"It was. I saw you dancing with Tuffnut." I turned my head and smiled brightly. Martha blushed a little.

"Well he is really funny and cute I guess." I giggled at her awkwardness.

Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts wander back to my mother when I suddenly felt a stinging pain on my scalp. "Ouch!"

"Oh, I am sorry Lilly, it seems you got a knot there. I fear I need to cut it out if that's alright?"

I turned to see Martha pulling out a small knife from her apron and frowned as she held it out for me. I worried my lower lip for a moment, but then shrugged.

"Okay, if it won't show..."

"It won't. Don't worry I'll be careful. Turn you head back around." She insisted and as soon as I did as told, she was cutting off a strand of my hair, putting it back into her apron along with the knife and went back to braid my hair. The process went smoothly after that and I found myself relaxing again. 

"So, I am done Lilly." She said after a while and I got up to hug her.

"Thank you Martha, you are really nice." I let go of her and oh...was that a tear gathering at the corner of her eye? I didn't have much time to ponder about it though as Martha forced her lips into a smile and ushered me out of my room. "You are too kind, Lilly. But you should go now - I think your brother is looking for you."

**Viggo's POV**

Sitting at my desk I studied the plans Hiccup had given to me for rebuilding our town in a dragon friendly way. _This_ _boy really is brilliant_. I had to admit. He came up with ideas that would have never crossed my mind. Who would ever think of a dragon washing station?

_It will be a big challenge to convince the council to implement these plans, though. _

Hearing a light knock on the door, I was torn from my thoughts. Looking up, I saw Lilly walking up to me, a small smile on her lips.

She was wearing a light blue tunic, covered with silver shoulder pads and a white fur collar around her shoulders as well as a brown leather skirt framed with the same white fur above of brown leather leggings. Her hair was braided to one side. She looked so grown up, it almost broke my heart.

"Are you feeling better today?" I asked, thinking of last night. Lilly had fallen asleep in my arms while I was reading mothers diary to her, reminding me so much of the little girl she once was.

Lilly smiled again and nodded. "Hiccup and the others are leaving today and I was wondering if..." she paused, biting her lower lip and fumbling with her fingers.

"What's on your mind little flower? You know, you can tell me everything."

She nodded again. "I was wondering if Shadow and I could fly with them, back to dragons edge?"

I knew she was going to ask that, it was obvious she liked Hiccup very much and though I still had the urge to punch him for kissing my little sister, I had to admit he was making her happy. And I wanted Lilly to be happy. I always have.

I chuckled at the puppy eyed look she gave me. _Who could ever say no to that?_  
"If it makes you happy, then go. But I'll miss you."

Lilly beamed at me happily before she ran over to pull me into a tight hug, almost knocking the chair I was sitting in over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! And I'll miss you too."

~~~~  
A few hours later large group of people had gathered around the great hall to bid our Berkian guests goodbye.

"Viggo, we have to thank you for your hospitality. It will be my pleasure to invite you to Berk the next time." Stoick shook my hand.

"It was a pleasure having you here." I answered before I turned to Hiccup, who was standing next to his father.

"My dear Hiccup, I trust that you will take care of my little sister while she stays with you."

The boy nodded. "Don't worry Viggo, I will."

"I can take care of myself! I am not a baby." Lilly crossed her arms, pouting.

I chuckled at her childish behavior and cupped her face with my hands.

"I know that very well, little flower. But it will help me to sleep easier at night." I kissed her forehead and she hugged me tightly.

"Don't worry brother, I'll be back soon."

Taking off, Lilly turned around one last time, waving at me. I looked after them until they were only tiny dark spots on the horizon. _See you soon little flower._

** Five days later **

Waking up early in the morning to the sound of heavy raindrops clashing at the windows and the howling of the wind through the door, I already knew this was going to be a bad day.

Wrapping myself in my black cape, I started to walk through the town to check the progress of the rebuilding process. I was talking to the builder for a while, when all of a sudden one of my guards appeared in front of us, panting heavily.

"Chief Grimborn, ships! We're under attack!"

Instantly I followed him to the port, climbing up the watch tower. I couldn't believe my eyes, about twenty ships were sailing towards our island, the nearer ones already firing with catapults.

I frowned and clenched my fists when I noticed the insignia on the sails, it was one I knew all too well, one I had hoped to never see again. This meant no good.

Shoving my hood back, I yelled down to my people. "All women, children and elders gather in the great hall, barricade the doors! All men, to the weapons! We are under attack! Defend our island!"

Drawing my sword, I watched people running around, screaming in panic, babies crying.  
I felt rage and adrenalin rush through my veins. What could _he_ possibly want here?

It didn't take long for the invaders to reach the shore and storm towards the town, screaming out their battle cry.  
Soon I found myself in the middle of the battlefield, ploughing my way through wild looking enemies. The smell of blood and the clinking sound of metal filled my brain, making it hard to focus.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning around I was ready to strike but stopped when I realized who it was.

"Asmund! What is it?"

Asmund was panting heavily and pointed to the cliffs in the distance. "Viggo, I came here as quickly as I could. It's your sister!"

"What about her? She's at the edge with the dragon riders!" I yelled.

Asmund shook his head. "No Viggo, the invaders must have captured her, I saw their leader. He has lost his mind, he wants to throw her from the cliffs! Look, he gave me this to prove it! He wants you to capitulate to save her!"

Asmund held up a strand of red hair in front of my eyes. My heart literally dropped. _No! No, no, this can't be true._

Without thinking twice, I shoved Asmund out of the way, running to the cliffs as fast as my feet could carry me. My lungs felt like they would burst any second as I finally reached the highest point.  
Then I saw her, a small hooded form was held by a large man at the edge of the cliff.

Crying out I ran towards the man, raising my sword but to my surprise, the man let go of the girl and ran away as soon as he spotted me. _What the Hel?_

The girl fell to her knees and I rushed to her side, pulling back her hood. I gasped in shock and realization as her face became visible.

"Martha? What are you doing here?"

_It's a trap and I fell for it._

Martha reached out, clung to my legs and sobbed. "I'm so sorry chief Grimborn! He made me do it, he said he would kill my parents if I don't..."

"Who?!" I yelled, furious now.

"Me."

A dark but all too familiar voice came from behind me.

_This can't be true. _I turned around to face my older brother, an evil grin on his face.

"Ryker? What's that all about? Explain yourself!" I could hear my own heart drumming in my ears.

Ryker laughed darkly. "Well _little_ brother, today I'll take back what is rightfully mine."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Have you gone insane now? So what's your plan Ryker? Kill me and take over the lead?"

Ryker chuckled again and I started to feel uneasy. He seemed way to sure of himself.

"Take over the tribe? Yes. Kill you? No, I will not do that. I am a man of my word and I have sworn to our father I would not kill you." Ryker growled, the grin on his face growing wider as he slowly approached me, drawing his two swords from his back.

Raising my own sword, I stepped back but found not much room to go, as I was close to the edge.

The first stroke of Ryker hit the blade of my sword violently. Gods, he was strong, far stronger than me. I managed to shield myself from his strokes when all of a sudden he attacked me again with full force, causing my sword to fly from my hands, landing a few feet away. However, Ryker was in my way to get it back. Panting heavily, I looked around frantically, weighing my options.

"Always thinking five steps ahead aren't you brother? It will not help you this time. You see, I said I wouldn't kill you and I meant it." he paused and glanced to the side. "He however, will."

Turning my head my eyes grew wide in shock. "You?"

A dark hooded man approached us at a menacingly slow pace. He laughed darkly.  
"What a pleasure to meet you again Master Viggo. I have to admit, this is really a delightful sight. Oh what will your little sister say once we have her?"

"You stay away from her, do you understand!" I growled, hate and anger running through my body.

The man laughed evily. "Oh but I really have big plans for her and unfortunately you will not be able to stop me."

Furious, I stormed towards him, ready to fight with my bare hands if necessary._ No one hurts my little flower._

I didn't notice the hidden dagger underneath the mans cloak until I felt a sharp sting in my side and the hot wetness of spilling blood. Drawing me near, the man whispered into my ear. "Well doesn't revenge taste sweet? Your grandfather destroyed my family and now I'll destroy yours. And so end the days of the proud house Grimborn - I admit, I expected more of you, but some things can't be helped, can they?"

He drew the dagger from my flesh and I groaned in agony, my hand automatically clutching at my wound. My head was spinning - what was he talking about? But before I could form a single word I staggered as he reached out and pushed me over the cliff. With one last cry I fell into nothingness. 


	29. Chapter 28 - The trap snaps shut

"So your mother had the same power you have. That's incredible, I wonder where she came from, from which tribe. Maybe we could start looking for them."

Hiccup sat on the soft grass beside me and I opened my eyes at his words. "You think we could?" I whispered, a hopeful smile on my lips.

He looked at me softly. "Yeah, why not?" He put the notebook aside and lied down on his back, like me. We stared into the dark night sky for a while before I broke the silence again.

"I wish I knew her." Thinking about my mother made my heart heavy. _Why did she have to die? _I felt tears sting in the corner of my eye.

"I know what you mean, I feel the same. At least you have her diary." Turning my head I looked into Hiccup's sad eyes. _Of course, how could I forget, he doesn't have a mother either. _

"I'm sorry Hiccup." I said, turning my head away from him again, but he stopped me by putting his hand on my chin, making me look at him.

"Don't be. Lilly, I ... I need you to know something...whenever I'm with you, I feel like I'm home. Since you pulled me from the ocean, I cannot bring myself to stop thinking of you. It's like I found something, I didn't know I was missing." 

His words sounded so sincere, he looked at me with a new sparkle in his eyes that I couldn't place. But it caused my heartbeat to speed up as he leaned down to kiss me. Slowly I brought my hand to the back of his neck, pulling him closer till he was once again almost on top of me. 

Eventually we pulled apart to breathe and I let my hand slip underneath his tunic. "Your heart's beating so fast," I breathed, "like mine." 

He shivered at my touch and leaned down to claim my mouth again, more heated this time, causing the strangest feelings to rise in my core. I let my hands slip to his back underneath his tunic, trying to pull him even closer. I never wanted to let go again, who needs air anyway?

But again, the moment was not meant to last.

"Eeeeew, get a room! Oh Thor, I need to brand my eyes to get this sight out of my brain!"

Opening my eyes I faced Snotlout, sitting on Hookfang's back, pretending to throw up. 

Hiccup slumped on top of me, groaning in frustration before he turned to his cousin. "Snotlout! Seriously!?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two of them. It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed. Hiccup turned to me, face bright red now. "You think that's funny?"

Between my fits of laughter I managed to breathe out: "Y-yes, you should see yourself, you're bright red."

Hiccup rolled his eyes: "Oh very funny, well you've got a nice color too, milady tomatoehead." He poked my nose with his finger and winked before he got up, holding out his hand for me. I took it and together we walked over to the clubhouse, Snotlout still grumbling about his eyes followed us behind.

"Oh stop exaggerating!" Hiccup pinched his nose causing me to laugh again.

Time skip to next morning 

It was still early in the morning when I woke up, feeling Hiccup's warm arms wrapped around me, I almost dozed off again but decided to get up. Carefully I wriggled out of Hiccup's grasp and slipped out of his hut.

I walked down the wooden path till I left all the rider's huts behind and headed to the forest. _I want to try something._

Stopping in the middle of a clearing, I let my mind wander around. Trying to sense any unknown dragons. It didn't take long till I got the first response of a small night terror, but it was not what I was trying to do. Closing my eyes, I reached my mind out to all surrounding dragons. I wanted to try again what I did at the auction. _Maybe I won't pass out the next time, if I practice my powers. _

After a few moments I sensed different voices in my head and smiled. _It works! _Although it didn't take long before I felt dizzy again. When I began to see dark spots in front of my eyes, I decided to break the contact. Falling to my knees, I held my head in my hands and panted a little. This was exhausting.

_"_Lilly! There you are, I was looking for you."

Hiccup was walking up to me, he looked concerned when he saw me kneeling on the ground. Putting his hand on my shoulder he asked: "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry Hiccup. I try to practice reaching out to a group of dragons." 

His eyes grew wide with excitement. "Does it work?" 

I nodded. "Yes, but I feel dizzy rather quickly."

"Wow. That's amazing. I wish I knew how this is possible. Come, let's go back to the others and have breakfast. I'm sure you will feel better when you eat something." He kissed me softly and holding hands we walked back to the others.

We had nearly finished eating when all of the sudden a terrible terror flew into the clubhouse, landing between our plates.

"Woah, get away from my food!" Tuffnut exclaimed as the little dragon tried to steal his piece of roasted fish.

I chuckled and watched Hiccup remove the paper roll clinging to the dragons leg. My eyes widened when I recognized the wax seal closing the letter. "That's from Viggo." I said, stepping over to Hiccup.

He unfolded it carefully, and started reading.

_Dear Lilly,_   
_please meet me tonight at the shore of your island, I need to show you something._   
_It is of great importance that you come alone, consider it a special surprise from a brother to his sister._   
_Can't wait to see you again, little flower._   
_Love, Viggo_

"I have a strange feeling about this. This letter doesn't sound like Viggo." Hiccup said as he put the letter back down. I reached out and grabbed it from him. 

"But he called me little flower and it has his seal on it. There is no one else who could have sent it." I looked at Hiccup, trying to reassure him. Still, he didn't look convinced. 

"I'll come with you."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "No, Hiccup. I'll go alone, you know how Viggo is and I don't want you two to fight because of your distrust in my brother."

However my annoyance died, when I saw the honest concern in Hiccups face. I pulled him in a tight hug.

"Don't worry, Hiccup. I'll be fine, I promise."

Kissing him one last time and saying goodbye to the gang, I left the clubhouse to look for Shadow.

Time skip to Lilly's island

It was already getting dark when I finally spotted the frame of my island on the horizon. Emotions of joy and happiness ran through my body at the sight of my old home. _I love this place so much._

"_I'm curious, what do you think Viggo wants to show me?" _I asked Shadow, scratching her ears.

"_I guess we'll see very soon, love. I need to rest, it gets harder to fly large distances with this big belly." _Shadow purred, exhaustion in her voice.

"_Soon, Shadow. We're almost there."_

As soon as we landed on the beach I hopped off Shadow, running to the trees. I couldn't wait to hug my brother again.

"Viggo! Viggo, where are you brother?" Getting no answer, I frowned, a bad feeling rising in my guts. "Viggo?"

Walking into the forest, I didn't notice Shadow slump down on the beach, a dragon root arrow sticking from her back.

When I reached the clearing, I froze dead in my tracks. My heart started racing as I saw Ryker, leaning against a tree, swaying Viggo's sword back and forth in front of him.

He grinned darkly when he spotted me. "Welcome, little sister. Have you missed me?"

Looking around desperately for Viggo, I felt my throat tighten with fear. "Ryker? What are you doing here? Where's Viggo? Why do you have his sword?"

Slowly he pushed himself off the tree and walked up to me. I backed away, panting in terror. His eyes were full of hatred, my heart was hammering in my chest, I was afraid it might burst. 

He was the predator and I was the prey. 

Grabbing me by my scalp he brought his face close to mine. "Are you afraid of me little sis? Good. There will be no Viggo to save you this time."

I winced in pain and felt tears form behind my eyes. "What have you done to him?"

He laughed darkly, it caused a chill to run down my spine. Slowly he held up Viggo's sword. "This is mine now."

"NO! You ... you monster!" I cried out, tears running freely now, desperately trying to free my hair from his grasp. No matter how hard I tried, it only caused Ryker to laugh more in malicious joy. _This can't be true, he can't be dead. Please tell me this is a nightmare, wake up Lilly, please wake up._

"He got what he deserved and so will you." Ryker's voice called me back to the horrific reality. I was not dreaming. "Shadow! Shadow!" I cried out, desperate. But nothing.

Then I heard another voice from behind me chuckle. "I hate to be the bearer of most unfortunate news my dear, but your Night Fury will not be able to come."

Ryker let go off me and I fell to my knees, sobbing. Slowly I turned my head to face the stranger and my eyes widened in shock.

"Trader Johann? But how? Why?" _This can't be true._

Johann stepped closer to me, a sinister expression on his face. "You must know my dear lady Grimborn, I am a trader and if I see something of value, I'll take it. You have proven yourself to be most valuable and I will bring you to the one person who will pay an impressive sum to add you to his... what was the word again, ah yes..._collection."_

"No!" I tried to get up but a hard thump on my head stopped me. Falling to the ground, my world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it was all Johann's plan. Who do you think would have such an interest in Lilly and her abilities to pay for her?


	30. Chapter 29 - The thin line between life and death

**Hiccup's POV**

The sun was already setting as I stood in front of my hut, watching the line where the sky touched the sea in anticipation. _Where is she? It shouldn't take her so long to return. _

I couldn't help the feeling of dread creeping over me like an icy chill. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I should've never let her fly off alone in the first place. Clenching Viggo's letter in my fist, I tightened my lips and continued to stare at the horizon. I spent almost the whole day reading it over and over again and the feeling that it didn't sound like Viggo only grew stronger.

Toothless did not feel any better, he was pacing round in circles beside me, growling under his breath. _He's worried about Shadow and the eggs._

Turning to my best friend, I placed my hand on his head. "I know how you feel bud. Something's not right. We should go and find our girls."

Toothless purred in agreement and motioned his head to his back, telling me to jump on. In a minute I was about to do just that when I heard Astrid's voice coming closer.

"HICCUP! HICCUP! YOU NEED TO SEE THIS! QUICKLY! COME!"

I turned around to look at her. She was literally screaming my name as she ran up to my hut. My heart dropped when I saw the shocked expression on her face, she was pale and her eyes wide. _This can't be good..._

Panting she stopped in front of me. "Astrid, what is it? Is it Lilly, have you seen her?" I grabbed Astrid by her shoulders, looking at her intently, but she shook her head, barely able to speak. "N-no."

"Astrid please tell me!"

She managed to catch her breath and continued: "It's the twins..."

"The twins?! Seriously Astrid, you ran here all the way, freaking me out, to tell me of another prank of the twins?!"I was getting really mad. _She can't be serious._

However in an instant I clutched my stomach as Astrid punched me hard, wincing in pain. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Astrid was furious now, her face turned bright red. "For interrupting me, you big muttonhead! If you'd let me finish my sentence, you would know now that the twins found something in the bay on the west side of the island. It's horrible! You need to come with me - now!"

She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me forward but I stopped her. "Alright, sorry Astrid! But we'll be faster flying with Toothless."

It didn't take us long till we reached the bay, looking down I could see the twins next to Barf and Belch, obviously arguing about something. I rolled my eyes, can they never be serious? _So and what is of such great importance now?_

As if Astrid was reading my mind, she pointed to a big blue form, lying ashore a few feet away from the twins, but there was also something else. Something my eyes failed to see from the distance.

My eyes widened when I recognized the blue form and I gasped: "Jali?! Quickly bud, bring us down!"

Toothless landed next to the twins who finally stopped arguing as soon as they noticed Astrid and me running up to them.

"Hiccup, good you're here! We were flying around the edge, thinking of nothing bad..." Ruffnut spoke up but was interrupted by Tuffnut: "Bad? No! Mischief? Maybe."

"Tuffnut! Get to the point ... please!"I exclaimed but Astrid dragged me towards the big blue dragon already.

"No time for talking Hiccup! This is serious!"

I gulped, the bad feeling in my guts growing stronger as we stopped in front of Jali.

The dragon's head rested on the ground, he had his eyes closed and he was panting. He seemed to be overly exhausted. I reached out to touch his snout. "Hey Jali, what's wrong?"

Jali's eyes snapped open and he warbled weakly. I couldn't understand what he was saying but I could tell it was a sound of sorrow. He turned his head to point to his back.

I shifted my position a little and then I saw it.

My heart dropped. _No! No this can't be. _

_"_Oh great Odin!"

I heard Astrid inhale sharply beside me as she recognized the body hanging from Jali's back.

Not waisting another second, I waded through the water and tried to drag the body from the dragon's back.

"Guys help me!" I felt desperate, my whole body was shaking with foreboding.

Together we managed to drag the body to the shore. All color vanished from our faces, even the twins didn't know what to say.

Astrid broke the silence first. "He's cold as ice. Do you think he is...?"

With shaky hands I reached out to check if I could feel a pulse. I brought my ear to his chest, desperate to hear even the faintest evidence of life.

"He's alive!" I gasped and took a closer look to check for any injuries. On his left side I spotted a deep cut, his clothes were drenched with blood and salty water.

"Oh Thor! Viggo what happened?"

I clenched my fists, desperation filling my heart. _I knew something was wrong! I knew it! I need to find Lilly!_

"Hiccup he's more dead than alive. We need to do something." Astrid's voice called me back from my thoughts. "Jali must've carried him here the whole way. I can't believe it." she added.

Astrid was right, we needed to do something. Quickly.

"Ruff, Tuff, you fly to Berk and get Gothi, now! We don't have any time to lose." my voice was trembling, but for the first time in their life the twins did as they were told without complaining.

I turned to Jali. "Thank you for bringing him here. I will make sure Snotlout brings you some fish." The dragon purred as if he was thanking me.

"Astrid, help me get Viggo on Toothless." 

Together we managed to heave the heavy body onto Toothless' back.

Back at my hut, we heaved Viggo onto my bed. "Astrid get Fishlegs! We need to clean his wound before Gothi arrives."

Astrid spurted out of my hut while I started to get Viggo out of the blood drenched clothes. Two times I feared he stopped breathing and I checked his heart rate again. It got weaker. His breathing was barely noticeable and uneven. Sometimes it would stop for a few seconds before he drew in a shaky breath. Beside his bleeding wound, I could see that he had several broken ribs and his head was bleeding too.

I frowned, deeply concerned. _Was he with Lilly when this happened?_

Toothless paced around the room in distress. "Yeah I know bud, something really bad must have happened. We need to look for Shadow and Lilly."

Finally, Fishlegs and Astrid returned. Fishleg's eyes grew wide in shock as he examined Viggo's injuries. "Oh Thor! I didn't know it was _this _bad."

"Do you think he'll make it?" I asked.

Fishlegs shook his head. "I don't know Hiccup..."

Leaning over the older man, I touched his shoulder. "You have to stay alive Viggo, do you hear me? For Lilly. I will find her, I promise."

With that I jumped on Toothless' back and we took off into the night sky.

_I hope we don't come too late._   
  



	31. Chapter 30 - Abduction

**Lilly's POV**

Feeling drips of cold water on my forehead, I slowly came back to myself. I groaned and tried to shift into a more comfortable position. "Shadow stop it, five more minutes okay?"

I could hear a low voice chuckle wickedly. _What?_

Slowly I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly as another drop of cold water landed right in my eye. I inhaled sharply as my foggy memory suddenly came rushing back. _Ryker and Johann had lured me into a trap, they had Shadow - somewhere. Viggo, they killed Viggo. _

A faint sob crept up my throat as the icy hands of desperation clutched at my heart. I tried to move again as another drop hit my face, but found my hands bound to a wooden pole behind my back. Wriggling my hands, I tested if I could loosen the rope, but no chance. The wooden floor beneath me swayed back and forth, the sound of water slapping against wood drew to my ears. I was on a ship.

"Got enough beauty sleep, sis?" Ryker's mocking voice startled me.

I raised my head in a swift motion, but regretted the move instantly as I felt a stinging pain at the back of my head. My vision grew blurry and I hissed in pain.  
Ryker chuckled again, getting up from his seating position and walked up to me.

"Ryker..." I gritted out through clenched teeth, the lump at the back of my head pulsating. "Why are you doing this?"

He knelt down in front of me, a smug grin on his face. "Oh, why shouldn't I? I want to."

My heart was pounding hard in my chest. I tried my best to hold his gaze. His cold, dark eyes seemed to look right through me. I never felt so terrified in my life.

"I'm your sister. Doesn't that mean anything to you? And what about Viggo - how could you..." I couldn't continue as I felt hot tears sting in my eyes at the thought of what Ryker did to our brother. Trying to hold back my sobs I felt like I would choke.  
_How has my life come to this?_

Ryker laughed coldly.

"You want to know why, lil sis? I'll tell you! You have no idea what it's like to be constantly compared to your baby brother. Since the day he was born, everyone was so excited about him. Oh, look what Viggo did, oh look Viggo is so smart, Ryker maybe you can learn from your brother. Viggo, Viggo, Viggo, day in - day out. He enjoyed to outsmart me, to constantly embarrass me. And now I repaid him."

I shook my head in disbelief, not bothering to hold my tears back anymore. "You ..."

"NO!" Ryker bellowed and I winced, "You listen to me now! And then you came into this world, ripping our poor mother apart in the process. Now she's dead and you are alive, what a bad joke. I don't know what you've done to Viggo that he was obsessing over you so much, but you cannot trick me. I always knew there was something strange about you, something abnormal. And I have been right, haven't I? Dragon speaking witch! You destroy our tribe and defile the name Grimborn!"

His words were full of loathing. I couldn't bear it and turned my head away from him. Clenching my eyes shut I whispered: "You're wrong."

"What?!" he spat.

I felt rage boil in my veins and it gave me the courage to look at him again. Regaining my strength I spoke again, louder: "You're wrong! Our mother could speak to dragons too, she never wanted to hurt them. I don't know how, but she passed her power on to me, I guess. And she was a kind woman, who loved her children. All of us. It was her wish that we would care for each other..."

Ryker narrowed his eyes. "You're lying!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "If you don't believe me then please, take the notebook from my bag and read it yourself, it's her diary."

Ryker was about to retort but was interrupted by Trader Johann, who stepped under deck towards us, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Stop that bickering or do I have to gag you?!"

I glared at him, trying to hide my insecurity. "Where's Shadow?"

Johann chuckled darkly. "Oh don't worry about that, I swear we didn't harm her. Although her well-being all depends on you and how willing you are to cooperate."

He then turned to Ryker. "Get on deck. We're almost there."

Ryker turned to get up but stopped in his tracks as if he was thinking about something. He looked at me one final time and reached into the pocket of my skirt, revealing mothers notebook. Frowning he put it in his own bag and left Johann an me alone under deck.

I felt fear take hold of my body as the trader approached me, the same sinister expression on his face as on the island. He came close to my face and reached out to stroke my cheek. "Such a beauty you are. Do you know what happens to beautiful girls like you?" I hated the feeling of his hand touching me, glaring at him, I turned my head and bit down hard, drawing blood.

Johann screamed and looked at his bleeding hand in shock before he slapped me - hard. My head collided with the pole behind me, causing my wound to reopen. My vision spun but I could hear him hiss very clearly. "You better learn your place, your new master will not be nearly as gentle as I am."

"I have no master!" I hissed, panic rising in my guts.

Johann smirked devilishly. "Oh, you shall see very soon. And do you know why you are here?"

I stared at him blankly. He knew that I did know why I was here, but he enjoyed humiliating me with the fact anyway.

"Because your brother betrayed you, your own blood turned his back on you. What a shame, it must hurt so bad." Johann tut-tutted before he left me alone.

Bringing my knees to my face I couldn't hold back my sobs anymore, tears bursting forth like water from a dam, spilling down my face. I cried till I had no more tears left to shed. Oh how I wished this was just a nightmare, that I would wake up any moment with Hiccup's warm arms wrapped around me and Shadow licking my face. How I wished to hear Viggo's voice, to hear him call me little flower, but I shall never see him again. I didn't know how long we were sailing when I suddenly heard someone calling. "Land ahoy, we're here!"

~~~~~~~~  
**Hiccup's POV**

Toothless sped over the dark ocean as fast as he could and finally we caught sight of Lilly's island. As soon as we landed on the shore I hopped off Toothless and ran to the clearing, screaming Lilly's name.

"LILLY! LILLY!"

Nothing.

My heart was racing as the feeling of despair swept through my body. _I'm too late, she's not here. _

Suddenly Toothless started to growl, his ears flat and his eyes thin slits. "What is it bud? Have you found something?"

Stepping closer I noticed what Toothless found, I picked it up and let the item run through my fingers. "A dragon root arrow. But what's that insignia? I've never seen it before."

Toothless growled again and I turned to him. "I know bud, whoever owns this insignia has Lilly and Shadow. We need to find them." Toothless eyes grew wide and he gave a heartbreaking purr. It was obvious that he was as worried as I was.

Falling to my knees, I looked up at the night sky and screamed on top of my lungs before I hid my face in my hands, tears running down my cheeks.

_This is all my fault, I should have never let her go._


	32. Chapter 31  - Madness has a name

**Hiccup's POV**

Back at the edge, I noticed Grump sleeping in front of my hut. _Gobber and Gothi must be here._

I jumped off Toothless' back and rushed into my hut to find Gothi treating Viggo's stab wound while Gobber, Fishlegs and Astrid gathered around her, handing her the stuff she needed. Viggo was still horrible pale but his breathing sounded more even. The pleasant scent of different herbs filled the room.

Astrid noticed me first. "Hiccup, you're back! Did you find Lilly and Shadow?"

I shook my head, unable to speak. My whole body felt numb from desperation and anger. Pulling out the arrow I found on the island from my bag, I walked over to my desk and slammed it into the wood.

Turning around I could see everyone staring at me, a shocked expression on their faces.

"I was too late. Someone took them. I don't even know if they wanted them dead or alive." My voice sounded far weaker than I intended and I tried my best to bite back the tears welling up in my eyes once more.

Instantly Astrid was by my side and pulled me into a tight hug. I knew it was meant to comfort me, but I couldn't move, I just stood there, staring at the wall blankly.

"Oh Hiccup, I'm so sorry. But we will not give up, don't even think about it. We will find Lilly and Shadow."

"She's right Hiccup, lad. We're all by your side. Your father and I will fly to dragon hunter's island to check what is going on. They're our allies now after all." Gobber walked up to me and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

I managed to smile a little. "Thanks guys."

The sound of a weak, painful groan brought our attention back to Gothi and Fishlegs, who were busy bandaging Viggo's torso, they had lifted him into a sitting position to get better access.

Frowning I approached them to help. "How bad is it, Gothi? Will he make it?"

Gothi handed me the bandage to continue her work and started to write something on the floor with her stick.

Gobber translated her scribble for us. "Gothi says, he was on the verge of death but she managed to bring him back. He has several broken ribs but he shall recover if we give him time to _steal_ – OUCH – heal, I mean time to heal." Gobber rubbed his head where Gothi had hit him.

"Thank you Gothi." Carefully Fishlegs and I put Viggo back in his former position as soon as we were finished with the bandages.

I leaned forward and touched his shoulder. "Viggo, I need you to wake up, please. You have to tell me what happened. OUCH!"

Rubbing my head from the sudden impact I turned around to face an angry looking Gothi, her stick still raised. "Gothi what was that for?"

Gobber chuckled. "She says, let him rest."

**Lilly's POV**

My head was spinning and I drifted in and out of consciousness as I felt the ship dock with a loud rumbling sound. It didn't take long till I could hear different voices on deck and the trampling sound of people walking around.

I felt my heartbeat speeding up and tried to move into a more upright position as I noticed the voices coming closer.

An icy breeze drew under deck as three grimly looking men stepped down to me, Trader Johann and Ryker following them. I couldn't help but tremble from the cold and from fear that crept up my spine. The men were wearing fur coats and hats and looked different from any other person I had seen so far.

Trader Johann chuckled darkly as he approached me, drawing his dagger. I inhaled sharply as he brought the blade close to my face, before he let it slip behind me and cut the ropes that bound my hands to the pole. "Welcome to your new home my dear. I have to thank you, you'll make me a very rich man today."

Before I had the chance to react, I was pulled up by two of the strange looking men and found my wrists constrained again in front of me by cold metal cuffs, a long chain attached to them. One of the men dragged me forward by the chain, making me stumble and fall to my knees, my legs felt weak from staying in a sitting position for so long. "Get up!" he growled.

I started to panic but got to my feet anyway, visibly trembling now. Again I was dragged forward quite ruthlessly and up on deck. I locked my gaze with Ryker for a second, but he looked away rather quickly, avoiding me.

I have never felt so hopeless before. _This can't really be happening to me._

Leaving the ship, I noticed we docked at a huge harbor, with numerous big ships surrounding Johann's rather small one. It was snowing and I could see ice floes floating in the dark surface of the ocean. We must have sailed far to the north.

_No chance, to escape by swimming, I would freeze to death if I tried._

I was freezing already, since I didn't wear a coat or anything to keep me warm a little bit, but it didn't matter, nothing mattered anymore.

After a while the men stopped in the middle of the harbor and Trader Johann, who followed us behind together with Ryker, approached a tall man who had his back turned to us.

"Master Bludvist, it's my pleasure to see you again. May I present you the dragon whisperer as I promised you. I also bring you a Night Fury." Trader Johann bowed a little while he waited for the man to turn around.

Slowly he did and I felt like my blood would freeze in my veins. This man was terrifying. He had long black hair and beard, wearing it in thick dread locks. Multiple scars ran over his face and he was wearing a blue sleeveless tunica, a thick red waist belt and a huge black cape, obviously made of dragon skin. But what frightened me the most were his eyes, they were dark and cold and his look spoke of unconcealed cruelty.

I felt like my heart would jump right out of my chest as he slowly approached me, he circled me while eying me up and down. His mouth twitched into a twisted grin. He stopped only inches away from me and grabbed my chin with his big hand, squeezing till it hurt. 

"So _this_ is the great dragon whisperer trader Johann told me off?" he scoffed darkly causing chills to run down my spine and his men joined him. "You think you can take control over dragons because you _talk_ with them, hm? I will tell you something, I alone control all dragons. I am Drago Bludvist, the dragon god and breaking you will be my crowning joy. I will be your master and you will serve me." his voice was low but intense, making my blood run cold.

He let go off my face and somehow I mustered the courage to say: "I don't control dragons. They're my friends. And you better not touch Shadow!"

Drago laughed coldly before he slapped me so hard across the face that I fell to the ground, hissing in pain. But he wasn't done yet. Crying out in agony, I felt his large foot kick me hard in the stomach before he put his foot on my cheek, pressing me to the icy ground.   
"You only speak when I allow you to, I am your master. Get up!"

He released my face and pulled me up by my hair. I couldn't hold back my tears at the stinging pain. Looking around frantically my gaze met Ryker's. Tears running freely now I cried out to him. "Ryker please, help me!"

Drago punched me again. I spoke up without permission, but I didn't care. I had to cling to every glimpse of hope I could get. "Brother, please! Don't let him do this!"

Ryker turned his face away, jaw clenched. I fell to the ground again as another blow from Drago knocked me down. My vision grew blurry and I tasted blood in my mouth.

"Drago stop it! She's just a kid!" 

_What? _

I couldn't believe my ears. Was that really Ryker reasoning with Drago for _me?_

Drago turned his attention to my older brother now, who stood a few feet away, arms crossed. He glared at Ryker and growled: "And who are you?"

"I'm Ryker Grimborn, chief of the dragon hunter tribe and..."

Drago interrupted him. "Chief? I have no use for chiefs unless they bow to me! I will rule them all!"

Ryker laughed at this, not realizing it was a big mistake. Drago was furious and nodded towards a group of his men. Before Ryker could even realize what was happening to him, he was disarmed and punched hard into his stomach, before the men dragged him away.

"Nooo!" I screamed, sobbing uncontrollably now.

Trader Johann however walked over to the place where Ryker stood a moment ago and picked up Viggo's sword, gliding his fingers over the ruby set handle. He looked at me gloatingly and tut-tutted again. "Oh look at you, now you're all alone in the world little dragon whisperer. What horror you must feel. I think I'll take your brother's sword now, I bet someone would pay a good prize for it. And so this is the end of the proud house Grimborn."

I hated him beyond words. How could somebody take so much joy from another ones suffering. But I had not much time to glare at Johann as I was lifted up again and found Drago's face only inches from mine. He whispered threateningly: "You belong to me now. And now - run."

"What?" I could barely speak, my whole body felt numb and sore and the lump at the back of my head was pulsating again making it hard to focus.

Drago chuckled as he unchained my hands. "I said run. You have one hour to find your precious Night Fury, if you manage to find it - I will consider to let it live. Show me how you talk with your dragon."

My heart dropped. He can't be serious. But the look in his eyes told me that he was, there was honestly no doubt.

"Time is running. I would start now." 

He let go off me and after one last hesitating moment I started to run away from him, well at least I tried. I was limping would be more realistic.

"_Shadow? Shadow!?" _I tried to reach out to her.

A few seconds passed, then a minute but nothing. I grew desperate when I suddenly sensed a faint voice in my head.

"_Lilly! Lilly, I am here!"_

"_Shadow! Guide me to you, I'm coming!"_

Drago watched me intently, the evil grin on his face grew wider when he realized I was really communicating with Shadow.

Neither did I notice Trader Johann leave with a sack of gold and my brother's weapons nor did I notice Drago following me secretly.

_When I find Shadow, I need to free her somehow. We need to get out of here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone :) Please let me know if you have any thoughts. What do you think happens to Ryker?


	33. Chapter 32 - Where is my sister?

**Lilly's POV**

I kept on running for what seemed to be an eternity always trying to follow Shadow's quiet guides in my head.

This place looked insane, I had left the harbor rather quickly and was now entering a huge fortress, covered in blue ice. Running through an icy corridor, I stopped at a fork in the path.

"_Shadow? Say something please! I need to know which way to go."_

"_I'm here, Lilly. It's so dark in here." _Her voice sounded weak and as if she was in pain.

_"Hang on Shadow!" _

I turned left and started running again till I reached a dark wooden door at the end of the corridor. Pushing down the door handle it opened with a loud squeak and revealed a staircase leading down into darkness. Taking a deep breath I started to descend the stairs carefully, sliding my hands along the cold stone wall to prevent tripping.

Finally I reached the last step, a faint light shone from the end of the dark corridor. Heart pounding in my ears I moved along the cold stone wall till I came face to face with two of Drago's guards standing in front of a dragon proof metal cage. Inside Shadow lied huddled on the floor as if she was trying to hide something. Her snout was muzzled.

"Shadow!" I cried out in relief and she raised her head to look at me as I ran up to her. The guards didn't move to stop me which I didn't mind at all.

"_Lilly, are you okay?"_ Shadow purred, sounding clearly distressed.

I shook my head and bit my lip. "_Not really, we need to get out of here somehow." _

_"I fear that won't be so easy Lilly."_ She raised her wing slightly and I gasped in shock.

"_Oh Shadow! How...when?" _

Shadow gazed at me sadly. "_It was time, I couldn't help it."_

"_Oh Shadow..."_ I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked down at three black scaled eggs hidden under Shadow's wing.

I didn't realize the guards had left the room nor did I notice the big form approaching me from the darkness until I heard Shadow growl threateningly, her eyes turning to thin slits.

"I have to admit you exceeded my expectations little dragon whisperer." a low voice hit my ear from behind.

_No_. Feeling panic rise in my stomach, I looked around frantically to find any kind of weapon. _I need to defend Shadow and her eggs._

I spotted a long metal rod lying next to the dragon cage out of the corner of my eye. _That will do. Maybe if I'm quick enough..._

Not wasting another moment, I lunged forwards grabbing the rod and spun around to strike and managed to hit Drago's arm. He didn't even wince - all he did was chuckle lowly as he grabbed the rod and dragged me towards him, spinning me around so that my back was pressed against his broad chest, pinning me to him with the rod. "That's the spirit I was looking for, it will make breaking you way more entertaining." I shivered in fear as he almost purred into my ear.

My heart was pounding so fast, I could feel the rod vibrating from it's rapid beat. Drago chuckled again: "Your fear is intoxicating dragon whisperer. Once you know your place, you will be of great use in combat. Imagine, all the dragons you will lead to me."

"I will never help you! Let go!"

Shadow growled again, louder this time and Drago brought his gaze up to look at her. He laughed coldly before whispering in my ear again, making me shudder with dread. "Oh you will, or I will smash the pretty eggs your precious Night Fury laid and have them for breakfast."

My heart dropped. _No! I cannot let this happen._

Drago must've felt me slump against him because he laughed again. "That's what I thought."

I shrieked as he turned me around and threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing, carrying me away from Shadow who growled furiously - trying to get her muzzle off.  
I punched Drago's back and tried to kick him with my feet but it was useless. Accepting my defeat I dared to ask, voice barely above a whisper: "Where are you taking me?"

"To your new home dragon whisperer."

I couldn't fight the urge to retort. "I have a name, you know?"

He laughed again. "No you don't, you belong to me now - you're nameless from this day on unless I decide to give you a name."

_Oh gods, this man really is insane. _

He carried me through countless icy corridors till we reached another wooden door. Drago put me down to unlock it and I didn't let this chance go by. As soon as my feet touched the ground I spurted forward, trying to get away from this madman. However I didn't get very far.

The impact of running into another person sent me flying to the floor, hitting my head again. The sound of metal hitting stone could be heard and I looked up to see what I collided with. I came face to face with an old man who looked at me bewildered. He had dropped the tray he was carrying, sending a bunch of plates and cups to the floor. Some sort of insignia was branded into the skin of his neck. Viggo told me that's what happens to someone who becomes a slave. Our eyes locked for a moment and I noticed his eyes widen at the sight of me but had no time to think about it as I was dragged back by my ankle, crying out desperately. Drago growled lowly before he picked me up by my neck, successfully cutting off my air supply.

"Try that again and I will let your dragon pay the prize."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I clutched at Drago's tight grip around my throat, desperate to breathe again.

Suddenly I was thrown into the small room, hitting the floor hard and panting from the lack of air, I heard the door slam shut and being locked.  
I couldn't move, desperation held me frozen in my place. Slowly I brought my knees to my face and surrendered to my tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Hiccup's POV**

Sitting at my desk, head rested on top of my arms, I tried to get some sleep. But no matter how exhausted I was or how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop thinking about Lilly. Sighing heavily I decided to get up and look for Toothless when I heard Viggo groan. _He must really be in pain._

Approaching the older man to check his bandages, I startled and jumped back a little when I noticed he had opened his eyes.

"Gods, Viggo, you're awake! How do you feel?" I walked up to him again and sat down on the bed next to him.

Viggo turned to look at me and frowned. He tried to say something but only a deep cough left his mouth. He winced in pain and squeezed his eyes shut for a second before he tried again. "I have to admit, I've seen better days." Viggo's voice was weak and raspy, but I sighed in relief. At least he sounded like himself.

He looked around the room then back at me. "Where am I?"

"You're at the edge. Jali brought you here, we thought you were dead. Viggo, what happened?"

Our gazes locked and he coughed again before he managed to say: "The Scauldron saved me? I guess I owe him something. It was an ambush, Ryker and Trader Johann..."

My eyes grew wide and I inhaled sharply. "What!? Trader Johann? Was Lilly with you when they attacked you on her island?"

Viggo narrowed his eyes and tried to sit up. "What do you mean? I was never on her island. Hiccup, where is my sister?"

I gulped, my heartbeat speeding up. _She was never with Viggo. So the letter really was a fake._

"Hiccup! I asked you something! Where is Lilly?"

Viggo's anger was terrifying even though he was still weak.

"S-she received a letter from you... or so we thought and flew to her island to meet you. But she never returned and we found you badly injured so...so I raced after her to find her, but... I..." I stammered, unable to continue as I felt a lump in my throat building up.

"What Hiccup!?" Viggo clenched his fist, telling me he already knew the answer.

I stared at my feet and whispered. "I came too late, they already took her."

Clenching my eyes shut I waited for the punch to come but nothing happened. Daring to look up again I gasped as I saw what Viggo was up to.

"Viggo, lay back down! You're wounds still need to heal."

But Viggo only growled lowly, trying to get up but winced in pain as his stab wound was stretched.

"I trusted you Hiccup! You promised to look after her."

I couldn't fight back the tears any longer.

"I'm sorry Viggo! I tried! I hate myself for letting her fly off alone. I should've known it was a trap. But I didn't, it's all my fault, I know that. Please believe me, I didn't want anything like this to happen to Lilly... I...I think I love her for Thor's sake."

Viggo looked at me intently but I couldn't bear to look at him. Turning my head away I bit my lower lip when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly.

"I believe you Hiccup. We will find Trader Johann and I swear to you, I will send him to Niflheim with my bare hands for touching my little flower."

Wiping away my tears, I nodded and squeezed Viggo's hand on my shoulder.

"I found something on the island. An arrow with a foreign insignia on it. I think the person to which it belongs has Lilly and Shadow."

I got up and handed the arrow to Viggo. His face darkened instantly as he recognized the insignia and he growled.

"That godsdamn bastard!"


	34. Chapter 33 - Getting in the game

**Viggo's POV**

I clenched my fist hard around the arrow, causing it to break.   
A horrible vision came to my mind, making it hard to breathe. Inhaling sharply I winced at the stinging pain caused from my broken ribs and the wound where Johann stabbed me.

If this madman really had Lilly, he was going to break her, destroy her, she would never be the same again - if she survived.

_She's far too naive, too innocent and she has basically no idea about how evil a person can be. I should've protected her. Now I am losing her - again. Oh, I swear when I get my hands on you Johann and Ryker..._

_Ryker... _The feeling of being betrayed by my own brother weighed heavy on my heart. I knew he had always been jealous of the hierarchy within our tribe but I would have never thought he was capable of such a deceit. Obviously Johann was the mastermind behind this plan.

_"_Uh...Viggo?" The sound of Hiccup's voice brought me back from my thoughts, his concerned gaze locked on the broken arrow in my fist.

I looked up and our eyes met. "I know who that insignia belongs to. And if Johann brought Lilly to him, we need to pray she's still alive."

"W-what!? No! Who is it?" Hiccup's eyes widened in shock.

I sighed heavily and continued: "A few years ago, I made a really good deal by selling a considerable amount of dragons to a strange looking man from a foreign country. He introduced himself as Drago Bludvist, god of dragons and warlord. I didn't pay much attention to his insane attitude, because I would never spoil a good deal by criticizing my customers. However the dragons seemed to be not enough for him. Drago insisted that I should bow to him, let him take over my tribe, because he would rule us all. I told him off and didn't pay him anymore mind, but before he left I heard him yell: _Burn them, burn them all! _and in the next instant the buildings around me were ablaze. A hundred people died, men, women and children and it took us months to rebuild the center of our town. From this day on, I hoped I would never have to see his insignia again."

Hiccup looked bewildered and shook his head slightly. "Look, we will find Trader Johann and make him tell us where this Dargo Bloodyfist brought Lilly and Shadow and then we will call my father and the A-Team from Berk, fly to his base and get them out of there. He will not expect that. What does he even need her for? Maybe we could reason with him."

I laughed bitterly. "You can't just fly into his base Hiccup, this man will take us all down within seconds and you certainly cannot reason with this madman."

Hiccup crossed his arms and knitted his brows. "Well what do you suggest then, Viggo?"

This was the moment I realized how much alike Lilly and Hiccup were, he was also too good, too innocent.   
_Oh by the gods, if the two really get together I need to protect them both before they get themselves killed. If Lilly is still alive... No, I can't think like that._

Pinching at the bridge of my nose, I sighed before I looked back at Hiccup. 

"We play a game."

"What?" Hiccup's face dropped in disbelief and I couldn't suppress a chuckle. 

"Maces and Talons, my dear Hiccup. Only this time, we play in real life. Johann started it and I will love to get in the game. First step, we are going to trap the traitor." I smirked as a plan formed in my head.

Hiccup shook his head slightly but his eyes showed determination. "So how are we going to find Johann?"

My grin widened and I was about to get up and explain my plan when suddenly realization hit me. Bringing my gaze back to Hiccup I said calmly: "I will tell you in a minute, but first things first. Dear Hiccup, as I have to assume my clothes are ruined, would you mind getting me something to wear? I'd rather not chase after Johann in this state of undress."

Hiccup's mouthed a voiceless O and scratched the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Sure, wait a second. I'll be right back." He headed out of his hut and I leaned back on the bed closing my eyes.

_Hang on little flower, no matter where you are, I will find you. _

**Lilly's POV**

Lying on the floor I started to shiver from the cold and decided take a look at the room Drago locked me in. Swallowing down the remaining tears I got up and clutched my arms tightly around my body to make myself a little warmer. My legs felt shaky and my whole body ached from the abuse that it experienced today.

The room was really small and the only furniture it contained was a dark wooden bed covered with a rather thin blanket, a small wooden table and chair as well as a fireplace on the opposite wall. I approached it, hoping to find something to lit a fire but it was empty, not one piece of wood could be found. Shivering I sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped the thin blanket around my body in an attempt to warm me up a bit. It didn't help much though.   
_What could Drago possibly want from me?_

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots making their way across the cold stone floor before they stopped in front of the door. Instinctively I inched back on the bed, heart hammering in fear. The door opened with a squeak and one of Drago's guards entered the room, looking at me grimly. Close behind followed the same old man I ran into before. He was carrying a small bowl and a metal jug and put it down on the table along with a small piece of cloth.

The guard's voice startled me. "You're going to dine with Drago tonight. Get yourself clean before I bring you to him."

_What? _Perplexed I remained in my current position until the guard yelled again. "Now!"

"Uh...okay." Slowly I got up, leaving the blanket behind. The slave poured water from the jug into the bowl and I picked up the cloth, dipping it in the water. I gasped - it was ice cold. Trembling, I brought the cloth up to my face and tried my best to wash away all dried blood from my body.

The old slave was staring at me the whole time but didn't say a word. He's probably not allowed to. For a moment his ocean blue eyes locked with mine and I could see something light up in his eyes, but it was gone again before I could make it out entirely. Maybe I just imagined it.

As soon as I was done, I was dragged out of the room by my arm. The guard led me through seemingly endless stone corridors to a large dining hall set with a large table stacked with food and drink. My stomach rumbled as the smell of delicious food hit my nose reminding me how hungry I was and how long it had been since I ate the last time. Drago was already seated at the head of the table and gestured the guard to sit me down next to him. He didn't say a word for long minutes as servants served the food on my plate. I just stared at it, not daring to take a bite. _Where is the catch?_

"You must be very confused." Drago almost purred, an amused expression on his face as he took a sip of red wine.

I stared at him and felt the familiar feeling of fear creep up my spine once more, causing me to shiver even harder and my teeth to chatter from cold and dread. Unable to speak I simply nodded and looked down at my plate again. The food looked so inviting. Suddenly my stomach rumbled so loud that it echoed through the room. I clutched my hands in front of it, feeling heat rush to my cheeks. 

Drago chuckled. "Eat. I prefer you in good health."

**"**What for?" my voice was hoarse.

"Stop asking questions and do as I say. Eat." his voice was a low rumble that made the hair at the back of my neck stand up.

"But..." I tried to speak up again. I didn't understand this at all. But Drago interrupted me by raising his voice.

**"**Now eat! Or I'm going to feed you."

That did it, I certainly didn't want to be force fed by Drago and began eating my food. The meat and vegetables tasted spicier than what I was accustomed to but I was so hungry I didn't care.

Drago watched me with his dark eyes all the time and grunted a little in approval that I finally followed his order. 

"I alone control all dragons..." Drago started again while he ripped a piece of meat off a bone. "...or so I believed until Trader Johann told me of a mysterious dragon whisperer that communicates with dragons through telepathy. I must say I expected someone more..." he eyed me up and down "...well just more, but once you are trained you'll lead my dragons into combat. You are mine now."

I almost choked on the piece of meat I was chewing. _He couldn't be serious about this, right_? 

Drago chuckled and poured me some wine. I reached out for the cup to wash the piece of meat down when I noticed the old man again, standing among the other servants at the back of the hall. He shook his head ever so slightly and I put the cup back down, not taking a sip.

"Drink." Drago growled lowly but I shook my head.

"I'm not thirsty."

In an instant Drago was towering over me, yanking my head back by my hair and pressing the cup to my trembling lips.

"I said, drink." His grip tightened and I gasped involuntary giving Drago the chance to force the bitter wine down my throat. I grimaced and chocked but had no choice but to swallow.

It didn't take long till I felt dizzy, the whole room seemed to be tossing and turning. Somewhere in the distance I could hear Drago chuckle darkly. 

"Your first training is about to begin." his voice vibrated through my whole being and if it weren't for the drug racing through my system, I'd surely be shaking with fear. But all I felt was a dizzying numbness and a strange bubbling warmth rising from my stomach. Drago's hand was still in my hair, pulling me to my feet. "Let's see how much dragon is in you." he growled and his dark eyes were filled with something I couldn't place...he looked _hungry_...as if he would devour me with flesh and bone. In one swift motion he had me over his shoulder. 

"No..." I gasped out, barely audible as the tingling heat continued to spread through my veins. Colorful stars were dancing in front of my eyes. Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, there was a loud boom echoing through the fortress. Drago stopped dead in his tracks, cursed loudly. 

"Sir...the stables...an explosion..." Someone shouted. 

"How is that possible!?" Drago yelled and I grunted in pain as he let me drop to the floor without a care. Just like that he was gone. I tried to lift my head, but couldn't...everything was spinning...it was so hot...I felt so hot and dizzy...and tired, so, so tired...if I could just get up...

I tried, but failed. Suddenly a pair of blue eyes came into my vision. I knew them or didn't I?

"Shh, don't move...I'll take you back to your cell..." the man spoke, his voice hushed as he picked me up. "Don't worry, that should keep him busy for a while."

_What?_ I tried to speak but nothing but a whimper left my mouth and before I could from another thought, I fell into darkness.


	35. Chapter 34 - Unexpected Help

**Lilly's POV**

The sensation of ice cold water brought me back to consciousness. Snapping my eyes open I tried to scream, only to end up swallowing salty water. I thrashed around, desperate to get out but a heavy weight on my back prevented me from moving. My body burned like fire and though I normally could hold my breath under water for quite a long time, I felt the biting cold drawing all air from my lungs. Suddenly I was yanked upwards by a large hand. I began spitting up water and panting for air the moment my head was out of the water. Not comprehending what was going on I heard a dark voice chuckling from behind.

"Good morning little dragon. It's time for you to learn who your master is."

"What...?" I wheezed, not comprehending, and looked back to see Drago towering over me, a sick grin curled his lips.

"Wrong answer." Within a second I was shoved under again. I struggled to get out of Drago's iron grasp but it was getting me nowhere. My body grew colder and colder. After a minute I was pulled out again.

"Who is your master?"

"I...no one."

A dark chuckle and I was shoved under again. Drago kept asking the same question over and over again but I was determined not to give in, not to give him the satisfaction of making me call him my master. Every time he would wait a little longer till he brought me up again. I was freezing, there was a thin crust of ice forming on the water surface. It didn't take much longer and I felt my walls breaking, I could feel all my strength leaving my body. My mind screamed to keep fighting but my body couldn't take much more.

My teeth chattered violently and I let out a pitiful whimper as I was brought up again. Drago's breath against my ear felt unbearable hot as he purred. "I know it hurts, you're so cold. But it doesn't have to be this way, I can make you feel warm again, wrap you in cozy furs in front of a fireplace and serve you hot soup to heat you up from the inside and outside. Wouldn't that be nice?" I nodded slightly and Drago chuckled. "Just say the words and it will all be over. Say that you will serve me. You're mine.

He allowed me to turn my head and I stared at him blankly before I breathed: "I..." Drago raised his eyebrow expectantly. "I'd r-rather d-die..."

His face darkened as he yanked me out of the tub filled with icy sea water and threw me to the ground. "Maybe we should try something else, if you don't care for your own well being, you certainly do for your precious dragon."

"N-no don't t-touch her..." My body was trembling so hard I could barely speak, I felt consciousness leaving me again.

Drago knelt down in front of me, a smug grin on his face. "It all depends on you. So who is..." But Drago could not complete his sentence as one of his guards burst into the room. Drago growled: "What now?! I told you not to disturb me!"

The guard paled, he shifted nervously. "I beg your pardon, Sir. But it's one of the new dragons, it caused a terrible fire on the ship and managed to escape. We couldn't catch him again and now the beast's burning down the harbor."

Drago growled again in annoyance before he got up. "I'm surrounded by idiots. Make sure she doesn't die of hypothermia." He pointed to me. "We're not done yet little dragon whisperer."

The guard walked over to me and poked me with his boot. "Get up!" But there was no way I could move, shivering uncontrollably I remained in my fetal position on the ground. The guard grumbled under his breath and picked me up, carrying me to what was surely my doom.

Barely conscious I noticed how we left a smaller building and were now heading back to the fortress. I was about to close my eyes, hoping that death would show mercy on me and take me away from this horrible place when I suddenly sensed a dark low voice in my head.

_"Foolish girl, you should just give up and accept your fate. Drago can offer you a good life if you surrender."_

I felt my fighting spirit return as anger rushed through my body. "_And be a slave to only deliver him more poor dragons? What kind of life would that be?"_

The voice laughed bitterly. _"You and I are meant to be slaves. Drago is the god of all dragons."_

"_I'm not a dragon. And they should not be slaves, my friend Hiccup, he saves dragons and frees them."_

I felt my head vibrating as the voice growled. "_Tell me, if you're not a dragon how comes you can talk like one? Don't believe you can fool me. I've seen centuries of humans enslaving dragons, your friend is not the first one to promise freedom but in the end all that humans do is pass on the chain of slavery over and over again in one way or another. It's a dragons fate to serve the humans will."_

"_Who are you?" _The bitterness in the stranger's voice made my heart heavy. How can someone believe that? It isn't true.

_"I once was a king, now I am no one." _

Grim determination filled my heart and I felt myself growing stubborn, not willing to give in that easily. "_No, this is not a dragons fate. This will not be my fate."_

The dark voice laughed again before it disappeared. "_Foolish girl, you can't even free yourself."_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Finally the guard opened the door to the room I was locked in before and put me down on the ground quite ruthlessly before he called out for someone. My clothes were freezing to my body and I curled myself up on the floor, trying to get warm. _Maybe the voice is right, I can't even free myself. I'm going to die here or stay as Drago's slave, does it even matter? I've lost everything, I am no one._

I startled when I was suddenly picked up by two women. They started to undress me, tossing the icy clothes aside and rubbed my icy body dry before they dressed me again in simple black pants and a white long tunic. The material was thin and didn't help to keep me warm but at least it was dry. Drago said he wanted me alive, not comfortable. As soon as they were done, they left me alone again, locking the door behind them.

Picking up the blanket from the bed I curled myself up in the corner of the room, trying to cry but my body felt numb. I had no more tears left to shed. I hid my face in my hands when I suddenly heard the door being opened again. _No, no, no, no, please not again. _

I bit my lip, expecting Drago to drag me up any second, take me away to torture me again. But all I heard were soft footsteps on the floor and after a few minutes the surprising sound of a crackling fire. _What?_

Carefully I dared to peek up through my fingers and had to blink several times to make sure I was not dreaming.

  
In front of the fireplace sat the old man I've seen before. He seemed absorbed in his work to get the fire bigger. Finally he looked up and beckoned me to come closer. I hesitated at first but couldn't deny the pleasant warmth spreading from the fireplace. Slowly I got up and walked over to the man, sitting down in front of the fire. I gasped at the feeling of my body heating up again. The old man hummed softly and smiled at me, his blue eyes sparkling in the firelight.

I stared at him intently, tilting my head I whispered: "The explosion and today that escaped dragon...that was you, right? You are helping me."

There was a glimmer in his eyes and the man nodded. 

"Why?"

The man looked around as if he checked something before he moved closer to me, his voice sounded comforting and friendly. "Because I know who you are."

I clutched my knees tighter to my chest, my heart felt heavy. "That's impossible. I am no one."

He laughed softly and I turned to look at him again. His cheeks were marked by deeply carved wrinkles and he had snow white, short hair barely covering his ears. The brand of Drago's insignia stood out from the pale skin of his neck. _I wonder how he got enslaved._

I felt one of his wrinkled hands touch my shoulder. "That's nonsense. You are Bryanna Grimborn's daughter."

My eyes widened and I looked at him in shock. "Y-you knew my mother?"

The man nodded and sighed sadly. "Yes... a long time ago. I recognized you from the first moment I saw you...you are made in her image." There was a certain kind of reverence in his look, but before I could say something he glanced over his shoulder and whispered: "I'll help you get out of here."

My heart skipped a beat as I felt hope rising in my chest, but still... "I won't go without my dragon and her eggs. And my brother, they took my older brother. I don't know if he is still alive, but I cannot leave him behind."

The man's eyes narrowed but after a few seconds he nodded. "This will make things more complicated but I'll try to find him. You will have to be patient for a while. Just try to play along with Drago, I will find a way."

He got up, about to leave. 

"Wait!" I cried out.

He stopped and looked at me.

"Who are you?"


	36. Chapter 35 - Planning revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all your reads, kudos and bookmarks, they are very much appreciated. :) Please leave me some comments, I would love to know what you are thinking or if you got any questions, don't be shy to reach out to me. I love to communicate :)

**Hiccup's POV**

"So are you seriously telling us that all of this was Johann's plan?" Astrid looked at me in disbelief, arms crossed in front of her chest as she leaned against a wooden wall. Everybody had gathered in the club house to discuss what to do next.

I gazed over at Viggo who was apparently not paying attention to Astrid. He was sitting by the Maces and Talons board and stared down at the figures intently. He hadn't moved for hours. _I have no idea how he thinks this is going to help us. _But I knew better than to disturb Viggo when he was in his "thinking mode", so I turned back to Astrid and answered her question.

"Yeah, that's how it seems to be. It's him who stabbed Viggo and him who kidnapped Lilly and Shadow." I said. It was hard even for me to understand how the blathering, sometimes annoying but overall harmless Trader could be capable of such a heartless deceit.

Astrid shook her head and was about to say something but was interrupted by Tuffnut who walked into the middle of the room, hands raised. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. So let me get this straight, I know we're all supposed to be mad at Johann for trying to kill Viggo and kidnapping Lilly, but can we just take a moment to admire that Trader Johann actually outwitted Viggo? The number one game player? He's a genius."

"A wunderkind." Ruffnut interjected.

Tuffnut nodded with enthusiasm. "An enfant terrible."

"And you two are muttonheads!" Snotlout grumbled, but everyone's attention was caught by Viggo, who finally looked up from the Maces and Talons board.

"Excuse me? What was that?" He narrowed his eyes at the twins. 

_Great._

I grumbled under my breath and covered my face with one hand in frustration. The twins were surely my number one cause of headache. "Tuff, Ruff, please just drop it. It's not right to..."

"No, no, let them be Hiccup. Actually our dear friend Tuffnut here has a point." Viggo got up and stopped next to Tuffnut, putting an arm around his shoulders. For a second everyone just stared at the unexpected scene - dumbfounded - before Tuffnut found his voice again.

"I do? HA! I do!" He raised his fist in victory.

"Oh come on, seriously!?" Snotlout grumbled.

Viggo continued, unimpressed by the reactions: "Well as I told you before, accepting defeat is the most difficult but necessary part of competition. Johann figured out my weakness and used it against me, I'll give him that. He even managed to trepan my brother into betraying me. But on the other hand, Ryker has always been gullible. Fortunate enough he is unaware that his attempted assassination of me failed, which gives me a considerable advantage."

"So I figure you have a plan?" I asked and Viggo smirked.

"I'm glad that you ask my dear Hiccup, actually I have." Viggo walked over to me and held up a Maces and Talons figure in front of my eyes.

"The accomplice. One of the most important pieces in all of Maces and Talons. You can certainly win without it, but with it, you can attain total victory."

I frowned. _Why does he always have to be so cryptic? _"So...?"

Viggo chuckled at my puzzled face. "So my dear Hiccup, Trader Johann believes I am rotting at the bottom of the sea and he has no idea that you know about his true nature. He will certainly continue his tradership with Berk. That's where your father comes into play. Why wouldn't he invite Johann to stay a bit longer on Berk?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to find him on his ship and just beat the answers out of him before we throw him into the sea?" Snotlout interjected.

Viggo turned to him and chuckled again. "Undoubtedly. But where would be the fun in that?"

The resolute look in Viggo's eyes made me shudder and suddenly I felt very relieved that he was not our enemy anymore. Certainly he doesn't do things by halves.

"Alright we do it your way, Viggo. Let's fly to Berk and tell my father about Johann."

Viggo clapped his hands and everyone left the clubhouse.

"How do you think Stoick will take the news? I know he hates to be fooled." Astrid walked behind me and I sighed heavily.

"I guess we'll figure it out very soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon everyone gathered in front of the dome, ready to leave. Everyone except Viggo.

"Where's Viggo?" I asked only to receive puzzled looks from my friends.

"We thought he's with you." Fishlegs shrugged.

"Oh Thor, come on bud, let's find him. Fly ahead guys, we will catch up with you later." I jumped on Toothless' back and we took off. "Great Viggo, just disappear without telling anyone. Seems to run in the family." I grumbled under my breath and Toothless turned his head, purring approvingly.

Flying round the island we finally spotted him at the west bay, standing ashore with Jali. _Of course, why haven't I thought of it right away?_

"Bring us down, bud." Toothless landed a few feet away from Viggo and I slowly approached him. He was petting Jali's snout and whispered something to the dragon I couldn't make out from the distance.

Jali raised his head and purred softly as he saw Toothless and me coming and Viggo turned to face me. "Hiccup, I assume we are ready to go? I just couldn't leave without saying thank you to this amazing creature here." He looked back at Jali with admiration and I shook my head slightly. 

"I never thought I'd ever hear you talk about a dragon like that."

Viggo laughed quietly, the dark blue tunic he was now wearing fluttered in the light breeze. "Neither did I, but she changed a lot."

"I know." My voice was weak as I felt the all too familiar sting in my heart. The expression on Viggo's face saddened and we shared a long, meaningful look. It was the unspoken promise not to give up, whatever comes.

Clearing my throat I broke the silence first. "We should go now, the others already took off." Viggo nodded and jumped on Toothless behind me. "You know, I think we should find you your own dragon to ride."

"I would truly appreciate it, but let's deal with that bastard of a trader first."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what dragon do you think would fit Viggo the best?


	37. Chapter 36 - The traitor always dies

**Hiccup's POV**

"I'll split his bony butt in two!"

Dad smashed his axe into a wooden chair, causing it to break in half. I startled and gulped, I had not seen him this furious for a very long time.

"Uh... dad? Can you please stick to the plan?" I was truly worried that my father would not be able to hold himself back and just smash Johann's head as soon as the trader set a foot on Berk.

Standing a few feet away, Viggo watched my father in silence, patiently waiting till his first fit of rage was over. Dad growled as he looked at me, but put his axe down anyway. That was the moment Viggo finally decided to speak up, very much to my relief.

"I truly appreciate your condolence Stoick, but if you don't mind I would like to deal with Johann my way." Though his voice was friendly it was clear that he would not tolerate any objections.

Father sighed, still visibly enraged but trying to calm himself. "Sure Viggo, this is your revenge. I just can't put into words how much I despise that little snake of trader."

"Neither do I, but he shall get what he deserves." Viggo smiled in a way that made my skin crawl before we left our house together to discuss the plan with Gobber and the gang.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was the day. Today, Trader Johann was expected to arrive at Berk with a new load. I woke up early this morning, the sun had still not risen but I couldn't sleep anymore. Pictures of Lilly haunted me in my dreams. Oh how I wished to hear her laugh again, smell her skin again, feel her hug me again. _I hope Viggo can bring Johann to tell us where he took her, if this strange Bloodyfist guy really has her. _My heart ached as I recalled Viggo's words about the madness of this man. _Lilly has to be alive, she just has to. _Groaning in frustration I put my pillow on my face but that didn't help either. After a good while of tossing and turning around I decided to get up and distract myself from my dark thoughts. Careful not to wake Toothless, I grabbed my notebook and charcoal pencil and sneaked down to our living room.

Lightning up a fire I sat down at the wooden table and continued to work on my new draft of an improved Inferno. It didn't take long till my eyes felt heavy again and I drifted off to sleep once more.

"Impressive."

"Huh? W-what?" I startled out of sleep when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Blinking several times I noticed it was Viggo standing behind me. _I must have fallen asleep while drawing. _The sun had risen now and I could hear the noises of a waking up village from outside.

"May I?" Viggo picked up my notebook to take a closer look and I simply nodded, still sleepy. He chuckled at the sight of me. "Hiccup you should look at yourself, you're black."

_What? _Wiping a trail of saliva from the corner of my mouth I realized what he meant. I fell asleep on one of my drawings and now one side of my face was smeared with black charcoal. "Oh great."

Grumbling I got up to clean my face and Viggo chuckled again while he followed me, still studying my notebook. "This sword is really brilliant, but I think you could still improve it. Here, may I show you?" Viggo picked up the pencil and adapted the draft a little. I turned to look over his shoulder and was stunned. "Wow, that's actually a great idea." Viggo grinned and flapped through the pages to look at my other inventions. _Maybe we have more in common than I thought. _I was about to show him my new idea for a flying suit when we heard Gobber's voice from outside. "The trader is coming!"

We shared a meaningful glance before I followed my father who was trampling down the stairs and leaving our house. _I just hope he can hold back his temper. _  
Soon enough I spotted Johann's ship docking at the pier. I felt my heartbeat speeding up and rage boiling in my stomach as I saw the smug grin on his face.

A few men from the village were already unloading Johann's goods when he walked up to my father and me. The gang followed us not far behind.

"Ah Master Hiccup, what a pleasure seeing you again. I have to admit I did not expect you on Berk. How is it going at Dragons Edge? I believe all of your friends are doing fine?" He bowed a little and looked over my shoulder at the others standing behind us before he continued with his annoying singsong voice. "How is your little red haired friend doing, I hope everything is alright?"

_How dare he...! _I clenched my fist, digging my nails hard into my flesh and trying my best not to loose it and punch the Hel out of him right now. Hearing my father growl lightly told me that he was not better either. "Lilly is not here." I growled through gritted teeth, but Johann didn't seem to notice or he simply didn't care.

"Well that's a pity." He put one hand on his heart and faked a disappointed sigh before he turned to my father. "Stoick, thank you for the kind invitation, I truly appreciate coming together with my number one trading partner."

Father grunted, I could see sweat forming on his forehead. He was really trying hard to contain himself. "Of course Johann, follow me."

As soon as they were out of earshot Astrid was by my side. "I want to beat him up so much. What a cunning bastard."

"We have to be patient just a little longer."

Time skip to the evening 

After a hard day of having Johann around us and several times of preventing either dad, Gobber or Astrid from beheading the trader we finally gathered in the great hall for dinner.

The food was served and I took my seat next to my father and opposite of Johann. Before everyone started eating my father got up and motioned the people to be silent. "I know you all are hungry but please listen to me for a second. Tonight we invited our old and well known trading partner Johann to feast with us." Everyone in the room cheered. "But first a friend would like to make a toast to Johann."

I watched in anticipation as Viggo stepped out of the darkness, his face hooded and Johann narrowed his eyes not knowing where this was going."Thank you Stoick." Viggo raised his cup. "Tonight I would like to honor trader Johann, a brave man. Traveling the seven seas always looking for the best deals with a passion rarely seen. He has a skilled mouth, luring a brother into betrayal of his own family. We should be proud of such a crafty trader, who stabbed a chief and threw him off a cliff to get him out of his way in order to kidnap an innocent girl and her dragon. But he failed to do his job properly and that was his mistake."

Johann's eyes widened with every word Viggo spoke. There was a dead silence in the hall as Viggo approached the trader slowly, shoving his hood back. Johann gasped and shot up. "T-this is not possible, I saw you fall!" he cried out.

I felt rage rising in my veins again and spat out: "So you're admitting it was you? Where is Lilly?"

Johann looked at me outraged realizing his mistake but after a few seconds he regained his composure and laughed coldly. "Yes it was me. Got a considerable amount of gold for your little red haired friend. I'm sure Drago is having fun with her."

Dad inhaled sharply and yelled: "Are you insane Johann?!" But Johann could not answer, he cried out in agony and I looked down in shock to see a dagger pinning his left wrist to the table, blood dripping on the wooden planks. Viggo grabbed Johann be the scruff of his neck and growled lowly. "This dagger is tipped with dragon root. Do you know the effects of dragon root on a human? It will make your body feel on fire before it makes you delusional. You will start talking if you like it or not and if that effect isn't enough, I'm sure you can help me find a body part that you don't necessarily need."

My heart was racing as I watched the disturbing scene before my eyes, the way Viggo looked at Johann freaked me out. "Uh, dad?" I whispered but he waved me off. "Let him do this Hiccup, I would do the same if it was you who got kidnapped by this bastard."

Johann winced in pain, his boldness suddenly gone. "Alright, alright, we took the girl to Drago's fortress, far north to the icy islands. But you shouldn't hope to see her again, even your dumb brother didn't make it out. Ha, that coward got cold feet and Drago finished him off. Aaaaaahhhh...."

Viggo had dragged the knife from Johann's wrist and was now pinning him to the floor, straddling him before he rammed the blade into the traders shoulder causing him to cry out in agony once more.

"I told you what you wanted now leave me be."

"Viggo, we should bring him to outcast island, Alvin will have a nice cell for him." I got up and tried to reason with Viggo who seemed to have lost it.

He turned and glared at me. "My dear Hiccup, you are way too pure, too good and too innocent. If you don't learn how to be ruthless when you have to it will get you or someone you love killed sooner or later. There is only one way to deal with traitors."

I gulped, his harsh words burning in my chest.

Viggo turned back to Johann and pulled out a white lily from underneath his cloak. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he whispered lowly: "Beautiful isn't it? I want you to know this before I close your eyes. No one lays hands on my little flower and lives, no one. And the traitor always dies." Viggo shoved the flower into Johann's mouth and with one swift motion sliced his throat.

The traders eyes widened and he made sickening gurgling sounds while his blood pooled on the floor coloring it deep red.

I felt sick and had to turn my face away, my heart was hammering in my ears. _I can't believe he just did that._

Viggo stood up again and wiped the blood from his hands. "Thank you Stoick. I apologize for the mess but I have to go now."

_What? _I stared up between my father and Viggo but dad simply nodded. Everyone in the hall seemed to be paralyzed with shock of what just happened.

Viggo turned and left the great hall, disappearing into the darkness. It took me another moment to regain my composure but as soon as I felt my legs again, I spurted after Viggo, ignoring my friends calls.

"VIGGO?" Hearing a rustle behind me I turned around to find Toothless rushing to my side. " Let's find him bud."

Hopping on Toothless' back we took off and soon spotted Viggo, standing on board of Johann's ship.

We landed at the pier and I ran up to the older man, panting. "Viggo! What are you doing?"

Viggo rummaged through the traders goods and hummed softly, obviously pleased with what he found. He held up his sword and murmured: "Good to have you back." before cared to look at me.

"Hiccup. Well I'm sailing north, I would have stayed to say goodbye properly but time is of the essence."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "You're going to Drago, all alone?"

"Well you are welcome to join me. Come or stay, it's up to you." He smirked.

I shared a long look with Toothless who purred reassuringly and pushed me slightly forward.

"We are coming, let's get Lilly out of there."

Viggo's grin grew wider as he reached out his hand to me. "Suit yourself."

Toothless followed me behind.

This is going to be dangerous but not even Odin could prevent me from going.


	38. Chapter 37 - Guardians of Dragons we were called

**Lilly's POV**

It's been a week now since I was brought to Drago, well I guess it's a week. I've lost track of time at some point, the sun was rising and setting, not that I got to see her though. Most of the time I was locked into _my - _no _the _room but from time to time Drago would come to _visit _me. I tried to follow Hammond's advice and play along with Drago, but I couldn't just give in without him getting suspicious he said, so I had to take the consequences - like I did right now.

"What is your name?"

"Lilly Gri... Agh!"

Tssswt. I felt a burning pain on my back as the whip came in contact with my bare skin.

"What's your name?"

"Lilly..."

Tssswt. "Mmh."

Every crack of the whip hurt even more than the last one. Tssswt. "AHH!"

My back felt like fire and I could feel wet blood draining down, I shuddered with each sting and when the whip came down the last time I couldn't help but jerk my head back and scream: "NO ONE!"

Drago smirked as he approached me, admiring the work he's accomplished. He traced my back with his rough fingers and I winced at the pain it caused. He chuckled darkly and I felt sick when he came close to my face and almost purred in my ear. "What was that?"

I turned my face away from him but he grabbed me by the chin and forced me to look at him. Inhaling deeply I thought about Hammond's promise again and said: "I have no name." My voice sounded weaker than I intended and Drago's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He drew a strand of my hair behind my ear and petted my head. I hated it like I never hated anything before. "Finally you got the right answer."

He unchained my wrists and I collapsed to the floor only to find Drago looming over me again. "Don't forget to whom you belong now and I shall give you a reward. Say, do you want to see your dragon again?"

_What? Is he serious? _I nodded weakly and Drago brought his face close to mine again. "Good. Then submit to me and I shall bring you to your dragon tomorrow." He got up and yelled to one of his servants to bring me back to the room.

"Hey Useless! Bring her back and clean her wounds, I want her able to walk tomorrow." He turned to look at me one last time. "Remember my words." With that he left and I felt unbelievably relieved that he was gone.

Looking up I found it was Hammond who carried me back. The old man's eyes were hard and he grumbled something under his breath, but I didn't care, my whole body felt on fire. It was the most excruciating pain I've ever felt and I drifted out of consciousness.

I woke up again to the feeling of a soothing coolness on my back, it didn't hurt but tingled and left my skin feeling numb. Turning my head I realized I was lying on the cot in my cell and Hammond was taking care of my gashes with whatever, I really didn't know but it helped. Closing my eyes again I whispered: "Tell me of your island again..."

Hammond stopped his ministrations and sat down beside me, he gazed at the opposite wall but his eyes seemed to see something else, something far away but very beautiful. He sighed before he spoke: "Alright. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen, every morning I would walk down to the shore and take in the sight of the crystal blue bay and let my eyes wander to the horizon where the ocean became a deeper blue. The Sapphire Island it is called and it serves the name right. The weather is always warm and the island is covered in countless shades of green, the smell of hundreds of flowers filled the air and the dragons would come and go, build their nests around our village, live with us and we would live with them. Guardians of dragons that's what we were called, our tribe as old as the first dragon itself. It is said that the father of all dragons fell in love with a human woman, an impossible love of course. So he went to see Freya and begged the goddess to turn him into a human, so that he could be with his beloved. Freya fulfilled his wish but only for one night, this night the dragon went to see his love and as it had to happen the woman soon found that she was with child. The dragon went to see Freya again and the goddess ordered him to take the woman and the people she trusted to Sapphire Island. They should keep the child a secret and build a safe haven for all dragons. And they did. The child was a girl, the only one who could understand dragons. Since that day every girl that was born from her bloodline was blessed with this gift."

"Why only the girls?" I refused to open my eyes, I felt like my soul was inhaling this story, it felt so familiar.

"Because the first human who loved a dragon was a woman, it was Freya's blessing. So where was I, ah yes, as I stood ashore I saw her swimming and spinning in the sea, she always seemed so happy."

"My mother." I whispered and opened my eyes a bit, Hammond was smiling absentmindedly and nodded: "Yes, your mother, she was one with the dragons and I loved to have her near. But everything changed when one day a ship appeared on the horizon. The men were dragon hunters and determined to capture every dragon on our island. I tried to reason with their young chief but he wouldn't listen until he laid eyes on your mother. He fell in love with her and said he would leave our dragons alone if only she would go with him and be his wife. But bringing Bryanna away from our island meant we would break the promise given a long time ago, so I refused." I could hear Hammond sigh deeply, his eyes were glazed over with sorrow as he continued: "Your mother however had her own mind, she agreed to go with Ragnar Grimborn and be his wife. She would sacrifice her old life if it meant our dragons remained safe. That was the last day I ever saw her. But to break the promise given to a goddess did not remain unpunished...a few years ago Drago Bludvist discovered our safe haven and burnt it to the ground, not sparing the life of either child, woman or man. He took all of our dragons. I was the only one who survived, he decided to make me his slave and I lived in darkness until I saw you."

He looked at me intently and I frowned, resting my head on my hands. "Why did he spare you?"

"Because I was their king, Lord Hammond, guardian of the dragons. Bryanna was my daughter." My eyes widened and I saw him wipe away a tear from his eye.

"But that means you are my..."

"Yes, I am. And now listen to me." He came close to my face and whispered only for me to hear. "Don't you ever forget who you are, you are Lillian Grimborn, you and I are of the same blood. And your brother wouldn't want you to give up." My heart skipped a beat at his words and I felt courage rising in my chest. I will not give in to Drago, Viggo might be dead but I will not give up and let him destroy our home and every person and dragon I love.

I nodded and Hammond smiled. "Good, now come. The salve must be dried by now. You will not feel any pain for the next hours."

I sat up as he turned away and felt relieved when I realized he was telling the truth, it didn't hurt as I put on the way to big tunic Drago left for me. "Where are we going? We might get caught."

Hammond huffed and took my hand in his. "I was kept here for years and it so happens that I know some hidden passages even Drago doesn't know. Come, I want to show you what I found. Someone would like to see you. He seemed very determined to tell you something." He winked and smiled. "And we will need his help eventually, I am not planning to stay here any longer."

"You found Ryker!" I hugged Hammond and he chuckled. "Easy Lilly, you will regret stretching your back when the effect of the salve fades."

He walked to the door and beckoned me to follow him as soon as he was sure we were alone.   
Oh Thor, please let this plan work. We are going to escape.


	39. Chapter 38 - Escape

**Lilly's POV**

Aside from the tapping of my bare feet on cold stone floor and the sound of our own breathing there was nothing to be heard as Hammond led me through dark corridors. Every now and then he would shove me behind a corner when a guard passed by. I tried to stay calm for I feared the drumming of my own heart might betray us if it echoed through the empty corridor. Turning left we came to a dead end or so I thought until Hammond knelt down and moved one loose stone plate out of the way revealing a wooden ladder that descended into darkness. I gasped and Hammond put one finger to his lips: "Sssh!" Taking a torch from the wall he gestured me to climb down with him following close behind after pushing the stone plate back into place above us.

"This tunnel leads directly to the dungeons, but it's not used anymore. Come, follow me." I shivered from the cold and anticipation. If it wasn't for the dim light of the torch it would've been pitch black down here, I could feel moist stone under my feet and had to take care not to slip.

After a while we reached an old metal door, Hammond opened it with skilled hands and we entered a dim enlightened hall. The smell of blood and rotten flesh filled my nose, making me slightly sick. Carefully I looked around and saw one cell after the other, most of them seemed to be empty given the dead silence in this room. But they were not. Stepping closer to the nearest cell I almost cried out, clutching my hands in front of my mouth to prevent me from making a noise.

_Oh gods no, no how can somebody do that. _I felt tears well up in my eyes as the feeling of pure terror crept through my bones. Inside the cell laid a dead monstrous nightmare, or what remained from the once so proud creature. The emaciated body had lost all his once so bright colors, and looking closely I saw biting wounds all over the poor dragon.

I startled when I felt Hammond's hand touch my shoulder. "Drago leaves the dragons who are too weak for his army down here to starve. At some point they get so hungry that they would start to eat themselves. Come Lilly, there's nothing we can do about it. I'll shield the cells from you, you don't have to see this."

The feeling of savage rage caused me to shiver violently. No one had the right to torture such a beautiful creature in such a cruel way. Locking my eyes with Hammond's I said with a hard voice: "No. Don't hide them from me. I want to see them."

And I did, clenching my fists so hard I almost drew blood. Hammond followed me closely, a stunned expression on his face. Finally we reached the last cell. "He's in here, Drago intended to let him face the same fate as these dragons."

My eyes widened but Hammond raised his hands. "Don't worry, I would not let him die as soon as I found him."

"Who's there?" a weak voice sounded from the darkness.

Hammond turned to the cell and enlightened it with the torch. "It's me again and I brought someone with me. Here take that for a second please." He handed the torch to me and pulled a key-chain from his pocket, chuckling at my bewildered expression. "Well your old grandfather just happens to be a very crafty man. The guard didn't even notice I was there." He winked and unlocked the door.

Still holding the torch I walked into the dark cell and there he was, sitting against a cold stone wall, his face pale and body haggard from the lack of food. I bit my lip at the heartbreaking sight of him, feeling my heart ache. His eyes were empty but when he locked his with mine I could see something sparkle in his dark eyes.

"Lilly..." was all he managed to whisper as I knelt down in front of him, feeling tears well up in my eyes once more. We stared at each other for a while in pregnant silence when Ryker finally found his words again.

"Lilly, I...I read this." he held up mothers notebook and I closed my eyes, not bearing to look at him as he continued.  
"She never told us... I..I was wrong with everything, I always thought you took her away from me but the truth is, through you she was with us all the time, I failed to see that. But Viggo didn't, he always knew... he was always smarter than me and I.. I was jealous...I did a terrible thing."

Inhaling deeply I opened my eyes again not stopping the tears that ran down my face and silently dripped on the stone floor. "Yes you did." my voice was shaking. "Viggo is dead, Ryker. And look at us, where did we end up? This man is a monster and you helped Trader Johann sell me to him like cattle." Crying freely now I shook my head and Ryker looked down on the floor, fighting against his own tears.

Taking another shaky breath I whispered: "But..." Ryker raised his gaze slightly. "But whatever you did, your are still my brother, Ryker. I will not go without you."

"I am happy that you still have each other and now let us get your dragon and get out of here before Drago notices you're gone." Hammond took the torch from my hand as I got up and I pulled Ryker into a tight hug. He didn't know how to react at first but finally returned it, whispering: "I'm so sorry."

"I am sure you are. Here you will need this eventually." Hammond handed a sword to Ryker before he turned to me. "And for you Lilly, this." I looked down at the dagger he held out to me and gulped. "But I can't fight."  
"You will learn soon enough, just take it so you're not defenseless." the old man insisted. Hesitantly I took the weapon and nodded. "Good, now let's get your dragon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'll go first." Ryker peeked around the corner eying the two guards next to Shadow's cage.

We nodded and I reached out to Shadow. "_Shadow, Shadow, are you ok?"_

_"Lilly is that you?" _

_"Yes, we're coming for you. We are going to escape, be ready."_

_"But how?"_

_"I'll explain later, please just trust me."_

In the next instant Ryker stepped forward, catching the men off guard and sending them to the ground before they could even react properly. He beckoned us to come and I ran up to Shadow who was cowering in her cage, still muzzled.  
Her big blue eyes widened at the sight of Ryker and Hammond and I reached through the metal bars to touch her snout. "_It's okay Shadow, he's helping us now." _

"Quickly Lilly, step aside." Hammond pulled out the key-chain again and unlocked the cage. Shadow got up and walked out on shaky legs. I hugged her tightly and she purred closing her eyes. "_I thought you were dead Lilly."_

_"No, Drago has no interest in killing me, he wanted to use me somehow for his sick plan. But don't worry everything is going to be okay. Let's take your eggs and get out of here." _I removed the muzzle from her snout and Shadow licked her mouth, relieved that she was able to use it again.

Hammond took the three black eggs from the cage and put them into the brown leather bag he carried with him.  
"Now to the final and hardest step. Get out of here unseen."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slowly we sneaked through one corridor after the other, careful not to make any sound which was easier said than done if your accompanied by a dragon. Thank the gods that Shadow was black and hard to see in the darkness. It seemed that the odds were in our favor as we managed to leave the fortress without being noticed.

Outside however it wasn't so easy to hide, the sun would soon be rising, which would definitely cause us to be seen.  
I sighed in relieve, we're almost there. Carefully we made our way through narrow streets, trying to stay in the darkness.  
We managed to reach the shore when I suddenly sensed a dark voice in my head again. _"Leaving us so soon little dragon girl?" _

"Argh!" I put my hands to my head, it hurt and caused me to shiver. Ryker and Hammond looked at me worried. "Lilly what is it?" Ryker touched my shoulder and I turned my gaze to the dark water, frowning. I could swear the surface was bubbling in the distance. "We are not alone." I whispered, blood running cold.

"THERE! THE PRISONERS ARE ESCAPING!" The loud shouting of raging men running towards us caused me to panic. _No, no, no, we were so close, they can't get us now._

Ryker growled beside me, drawing his sword. "Lilly, can your dragon carry us all?"

"Not long, no." Shadow growled, baring her teeth. _"I will blow them away."_

It didn't take long for the first of Drago's men to reach us. Shadow shot a plasma blast at them, causing the men to stop in their tracks. "They got that gods damn night fury! Get Drago, we'll need the big one." One of the guards yelled.

"No need to get me, I am already here."

_No, no, not him. _Breathing rapidly I watched Drago step out of the crowd, a triumphant expression on his face.  
Ryker pushed me behind his back but Hammond stepped forward to face Drago.

"Leave her alone Drago!"

But Drago laughed coldly. "You! I should have finished you a long time ago, but it's never too late."

I cried out when Drago knocked Hammond to the ground with his bullhook, causing Shadow's eggs to roll out from his bag. Everything that happened after was a blur.

With horror I saw Drago smash two of Shadow's eggs into pieces, killing the poor not fully grown baby night furies inside. Shadow growled in savage fury and shot forward, firing one plasma blast after the other, setting the surrounding buildings ablaze.

Drago's men cried out and ran towards us with raised weapons. Ryker pushed me back and the clinging sound of metal on metal filled my ears.

"LEAVE! Lilly, take your dragon and leave! I'll try to hold him back!"

Ryker looked at me intently but I couldn't move. "NO! I won't leave you and grandfather!"

Grabbing me by the arm Ryker pushed me forward. "Do as I say! I am your big brother...I am sorry I wasn't better at it until now. I cannot change the past but I at least can do this for you...now take our grandfather and leave!"

Then he was gone, running up to Drago to challenge him.

My heart was drumming in my ears as I cried out for Shadow. She was spinning around in fury, knocking Drago's men down with her tail. In her mouth she carried the last of her eggs.

"Shadow!" I started to run but was knocked down by one of Drago's guards, the man cried out in victory as he pinned me to the ground. Out of reflex I brought my hand up and the man's triumphant expression faded. He cried out in pain and began to spit up blood as he fell backwards. Panting heavily I looked down at my hands in shock. They were covered in blood. I had stabbed him with the dagger that I still carried the whole time.

Shaking violently, I dragged the knife out of the man's flesh and turned my face away. I felt like I had to throw up. _I killed a person._

_"_Lilly leave! Before he gets his beast to control Shadow!" Hammond cried out. His head was bleeding from Drago's stroke.

Not comprehending what he meant I ran up to Shadow and jumped on her back. "Get him Shadow!"

"No Lilly, you will be faster without me. I stay with Ryker. Now leave!"

Taking one final look at the old man that won my heart over the last few days Shadow took off into the sky. I turned my head and watched in terror how Drago pushed Ryker to the ground and stabbed him with his bullhook right through the heart.

Hammond scrambled to his feet, staring after the black spot that was Shadow and me. "Farewell ñuha riña (my child)." he breathed, a single tear dripping from his eye as one of Drago's men approached him from behind and slit his throat.

Hot tears streamed down my face and I cried out in desperation. Now I am really all alone.

Shadow flew high into the clouds in order to prevent being hit by a dragon root arrow that were now shooting up all around us.

I collapsed on her back and didn't stop myself from sobbing. _"Oh Shadow! What are we going to do?"_

_"I don't know love, let's bring as much distance between us and this man as possible."_ Shadow sounded heartbroken too, she had lost two of her unborn babies.

The sun was rising when we finally spotted a small rocky island in the distance. _"Let's land over there and rest for a while, I am exhausted."_ Shadow's voice sounded weak.

As soon as we reached the island, I let myself drop to the ground feeling empty. Shadow curled up beside me, cuddling her egg and me under her wing to keep me warm. My eyes were red and swollen from crying but I couldn't cry anymore, my whole world was falling apart. Closing my eyes I drifted into very welcoming darkness, the place where I didn't have to feel, the only place where I didn't have to remember. I silently wished I wouldn't wake up again...then I could at least see Viggo again...and grandfather...and Ryker...

I didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly the feeling of something cold against my neck startled me back to reality. Shadow was growling lowly at a mysterious figure towering over me, pressing a strange looking weapon against my neck.

"Who are you?" the stranger's voice was low.


	40. Chapter 39 - Sailing North

**Viggo's POV**

The gentle wind billowed the sail and the deck warmed in the morning light as the ship which was formerly Trader Johann's skipped across the white crested waves. I stood at the bow of the ship pondering our next moves. Certainly we couldn't just walk into Drago's fortress and demand Lilly back, we need a plan and it has to be a good one if we intend to come out alive. I clenched my fists hard in anger and foreboding as the Trader's words rushed back into my memory and I tried my best not to imagine what Drago was possibly doing to my sister right now, what kind of torture she has to endure, what kind of horror she must feel being all alone.   
Hearing tapping footsteps behind my back, I turned to see Toothless peek over the ship into the blue water licking his lips, the dragon was obviously hungry.

I walked up to him and let my hand touch his head, feeling the smoothness of his dark scales. "Hungry, aren't you?" I asked softly and the dragon looked at me with big green eyes purring, as if he was answering me. Well he probably is. _I still don't understand how or why Lilly can talk to this creatures. _"Well maybe we should wake your rider first." 

Toothless purred again and turned his head to Hiccup, who was still sleeping while I allowed my hand to glide over the scales of his head. It felt surprisingly natural to communicate with this dragon, more natural than killing them has ever felt. I frowned at this odd thought that questioned my whole past and walked up to Hiccup, shaking him lightly.

"Hiccup, wake up!" The boy blinked several times and pushed an auburn strand of hair from his eyes as he sat up.

"Viggo? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" he tried to suppress a yawn.

I chuckled. "There was no need to. Come, let's find something to eat."

We sat across from each other in silence for a while, eating what we found on the Trader's ship when Hiccup's voice startled me from my thoughts.

"Do you think about her?"

Feeling a lump in my throat at the question I looked up and found Hiccup staring at me with big green eyes.

"Always."

Hiccup poked at his food without eating and nodded. "Me too."

Toothless who had just finished his fish was now peeking over Hiccup's shoulder, eying the still full plate with interest. The boy sighed and put it down for the dragon. "There you go bud, I'm not hungry anyway." He looked back at me. "What are we going to do?"

Putting my own plate aside as well, I rested my arms on my knees and folded my hands in front of me. "Drago is unlike every opponent you have ever faced, we certainly don't have a chance just walking into his fortress and claiming Lilly back. He would kill us right away and keep Toothless for his slavery."

"So what do you suggest? I know there must be some kind of plan going on in your head, Viggo." Hiccup gestured to my head and I curled my lips into a smirk. That boy really starts to know me.

"Indeed, my dear Hiccup but you must know there will be only two ways to get out of this game. We succeed or we die." My brown eyes locked with his green ones and Hiccup nodded, a determined look on his face. 

"Go on."

Voice low I continued. "We need to infiltrate his fortress by making Drago believe we're dragon hunters who are on his side. He doesn't know you, that's an advantage but I will have to mask myself eventually. Hopefully he will let us come close enough to find out where Lilly is."

Hiccup shook his head slightly. "But how will he buy that we're dragon hunters if we don't have any dragons?"

I looked to the side and let my eyes fall on Toothless who was sitting next to Hiccup, still licking his snout. Hiccup followed my gaze and his eyes widened. "Oh no, no, no, not Toothless!"

"There is no other way Hiccup!" I growled, getting impatient, but seeing the true worry on the boy's face made my voice soften again. "Toothless will be fine, I promise."

Hiccup was about to say something when we suddenly heard a loud thump on deck and whatever it was, caused the ship to shake violently. Gasping in surprise we fell to the floor and Toothless growled, his guard up.

"What by Thor's hammer!?" Hiccup exclaimed getting up only to be knocked down again as another loud thump shook the ship again.

Growling under my breath I drew my sword and climbed onto deck, ready to strike whatever was attacking us, Toothless and Hiccup followed close behind. Raising my sword I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks, not believing my eyes.  
_Oh fantastic, there goes my plan..._

Behind me I could hear Hiccup gasp in surprise. "Dad?! Guys? Seriously?"

Stoick stormed towards us, Gobber following close behind and growled, obviously enraged. "Hiccup! I will not let you go to Drago! Let Viggo do what he must, but you come back to Berk with me, NOW!"

Hiccup knitted his brows in anger and shook his head violently while he looked up to the sky where the rest his friends were circling our ship. "No dad, I'm staying. I will not leave Viggo alone in this. We save Lilly, together."

Impressed by Hiccup's resolute voice I watched the scene before my eyes. The boy had courage, I have to give him that, considering the raging giant standing in front of him. _He must really care for her._

"THIS MAN IS INSANE HICCUP! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Stoick yelled, his face turning bright red but Hiccup's voice stayed calm.

"Yes, that's why we need to save Lilly, dad! I'm not coming with you. Wouldn't you try everything to save the one you love?"

_Love? _I knew Hiccup told me before that he was in love with my sister but right now I could see it, the look in his eyes similar to mine. In that moment I knew, I could rely on Hiccup, he would not stop till Lilly was safe with us again.

Stoick growled and Gobber nudged him slightly with his elbow. "The same stubborn viking as his father."

"Fine!" Stoick grumbled. "But we're coming with you!"

"Dad, do you really think that's a good idea?" Hiccup raised his hands and I was about to say something when another dragon landed on deck causing the ship to shake again.

"Will you please stop doing that before you sink the ship!" I exclaimed. _These stubborn Berkians will ruin my plan._

It was Astrid who hopped off her dragon and walked up to Hiccup. "You didn't really think we would let you go alone?"

Hiccup gave me an apologetic glance and I sighed in defeat. "Alright, at least we don't have to worry about having not enough dragons now."

_I have to reconsider the plan..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ship glided through calm water while the wind around us grew colder, it wouldn't take us long now to reach the icy islands, maybe two more days. I stayed under deck for the most time thinking about what is going to happen. We had to reconsider the plan. Stoick, Gobber and the other dragon riders would stay at a nearby island, ready to help us if anything should go wrong. The only one who insisted to come with us was Astrid, I was not happy but there wasn't much I could do about it.

Letting my thoughts wander I remembered the Traders words about my brother. _Is it true, could Ryker really be dead? Was all this really worth it, brother? _Hiding my face in my hands I couldn't stop the memories of Lilly flash through my mind. How it all began. I loved her from the very first moment I saw her, when I set my brown eyes upon her wide blue ones. She wasn't yet an hour old and my heart was no longer beating for my own soul. I had been excited from the very first day I learned we would have a sibling and yet she was more than I could have ever asked for. She needed me as much as I needed her, our father would not look at her and neither did Ryker. But Lilly grew quickly, I liked to feed her, hold her, watch her toddle around in the great hall, making sure at least one of her hands was always gripping something. I remembered the tears in her eyes when our brother would be mean to her and the promise I made to myself to never let her be sad. A promise I failed to keep. And then I lost her and my world shattered into pieces until she came back to me and I thought we could finally be a family again only to lose her once more.

The sound of a loud thunder and the sound of big waves clashing on the wooden planks brought me back from my thoughts. Clenching my fists I got up. _I will not lose you again, little flower. I won't survive if I did._

Hearing my name being called I ran up on deck right when a big wave splashed against the ship, soaking me with salty water. The thunderstorm was in full rage and lightning brightened the night around us as masses of water started to fall from the sky. But there was something else, something strange in that storm.

"Viggo! We need to find land! This thunderstorm is insane!" Hiccup yelled over the howling wind. He stopped at my side and I looked at the dark clouds intently.

"It's more than a thunderstorm Hiccup!" I shouted and his eyes grew wide as a powerful bolt of lightning shot down in front of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think, is it good or bad that the gang accompanies Viggo and Hiccup to Drago? Any other thoughts?


	41. Chapter 40 - A dragon for Viggo

**Viggo's POV**

Another bolt of lightning struck near as a monstrous wave slammed against the ship causing it to jolt to the side and then crashing back down, jolting our bones. I grabbed on to a part of the ship as I was nearly tossed over the side, however I didn't know which part I held onto because I was thrown around so much that my vision turned blurry for a moment. I fought to stand up again and watched Hiccup do the same a few feet away.

That's when we all heard it. A screech, so strident that I instantly knew it could only have been made by one thing and one thing only.

Looking up I saw it coming closer at an indescribable speed. A Skrill. The dragon seemed to be part of the storm itself, a bright grey and purple coloring, channeling the storms lightning bolts to itself. The dragon shot a bolt at our ship causing the mast to break down and set the wood on fire. I could hear the riders yelling without making out the words when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. "Viggo! We need to get up in the air!"

Without thinking twice I grabbed Hiccup's hand and jumped on Toothless back behind him. The Night Fury flew up into the storm, the heavy rain making it hard to see anything in the darkness. Another lightning strike illuminated the sky for an instant and I saw the Skrill chasing us. The dragon shot out another lightning blast at us but Toothless dodged it and flew up higher, hiding amongst the dark clouds.

Looking down I could see the sky enlighten for a short moment whenever one of the dragon riders attacked the Skrill or at least tried to. "We need to separate, the Skrill can't follow everyone of us!" I yelled above the raging storm. Hiccup nodded and Toothless flew down again, shooting a plasma blast at the aggressive dragon to distract it from attacking Snotlout and Hookfang. The Skrill dodged and instantly charged forward, screeching in rage. Toothless torpedoed through the sky but the Skrill was not easy to cast off, it chased us through the storm with impressive determination.

Deciding the chase was going on for too long, Toothless suddenly spun around and fired a plasma blast at the Skrill who managed to dodge it again. It shot a lightning bolt in return just in time as Toothless fired right back. Lightning met plasma in the middle of the way and the intense impact of the dragon's shots caused us as well as the Skrill to get unsteady and fall from the sky.

Crying out I felt my body come in contact with hard branches cutting my skin as I fell through large trees before I hit the ground, the impact drawing all air from my lungs. For a moment everything went blurry, I couldn't breath and all I could hear was a sharp ringing in my ears. Finally I felt oxygen fill my lungs again, inhaling and exhaling heavily, I tried to sit up and thank Thor I was not too badly injured aside from a few new contusions.

"Hiccup!" I called out for the boy, looking around frantically. The rain had stopped and the wind slowed down so I was able to make out a faint groan a few feet away from where I came down.

Biting back the stinging pain I got to my feet shakily and started to approach the weak sound. It didn't take me long till I found Hiccup and Toothless lying at the other end of a clearing, broken branches spread out all around them. Hiccup sat up rubbing his head and looked at me relieved. "Are you okay?" I gave a short nod and started to approach him and Toothless when Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened. "Viggo, watch out!"

Turning around I came face to face with the Skrill, it was still sparkling with electricity the expression on the dragons face told me it was ready to kill. Toothless got up and growled threateningly, ready to attack when suddenly an idea hit me. I recalled what I read about the Berserkers using metal daggers to lure Skrills into traps a few years ago. It seemed now was the time to test it myself. Raising one hand towards Toothless I said with a calm voice: "Don't fire Toothless." while I cautiously pulled out my dagger from underneath my tunic with the other hand.

"Viggo are you insane?!" Hiccup cried out but I didn't pay attention to him. In this moment there were only the Skrill and me, this was our dance.

The dragon locked his yellow eyes with mine for a second before he was caught by the sight of the metal dagger I waved slowly in front of his eyes. "Easy dragon, I am not here to harm you." my voice remained calm as the dragon circled me, his eyes never leaving the soothing movements of the blade. "That's right. Don't pay attention to them, there is only you and me. Just keep your eyes on this. That's right." After a few more moments I felt confident to take another step closer to the dragon, reaching out my free hand to touch his snout. Closing his eyes the dragon leaned in and the contact sent a sparkling sensation down my spine. It felt so right, like this moment was meant to be. The dragon opened his eyes again and I couldn't help but stare, it was like he was looking right into my soul.

"What by Odins beard was that?"

Reluctantly I turned my gaze away from the dragon to look at a very bewildered Hiccup who stared at me open-mouthed.   
I grinned at him. "Well you suggested that I should find myself a dragon, didn't you Hiccup? Here he is." Looking back at the Skrill I added. "I shall call him Fulgur."

Hiccup approached carefully and shook his head in disbelief while Toothless and Fulgur sniffed each other, the rivalry from before completely forgotten.

"How did you do that?" the green eyed boy stared at me with unhidden curiosity.

I held up the dagger and smiled: "That's something I learned from the Berserkers. A Skrill is drawn to metal due to its electrical properties. With this you can sooth it."

"Wow, that's amazing." Hiccup eyed the purple dragon with awe.

"It truly is, but now we should find out where we are and search for the others." I took in our surroundings as the sun was gently rising, bathing the foreign island in it's bright morning light.

Flying up to the highest point of the island I looked out for a sign of the other riders when something else caught my attention.

Sailing along the horizon where ships, huge ships with a certain insignia on their sails. Letting my gaze wander a bit further I could see a huge icy mountain in the distance and something what seemed to be a fortress. Hearing Hiccup gasp beside me let me know that he saw it too.

Drago's base. We finally made it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally Viggo has become a dragon rider too.  
I hope you all enjoyed. :) Don't worry, the others will show up eventually.


	42. Chapter 41 - Somewhere Safe

**Lilly's POV**

I knew that I probably should have been scared of the strange masked person pressing a foreign looking hook to my throat, but I wasn't. I felt too empty to be afraid anymore. Feeling completely nothing, I closed my eyes and whispered in a dry voice: "Please don't take me back to Drago...kill me instead...please..." _It doesn't matter if I die, everyone who cares about me gets killed, like loving me is a death sentence.   
_

Concentrating on my own breathing I awaited the final strike but instead of the hook slitting my throat it simply disappeared. Sensing a vibrating sound in my head I dared to open my eyes again. The masked stranger put the hook to the ground and was now reaching out a hand to Shadow, kneeling down to her eye level. Shadow didn't seem to mind and let the stranger touch her head, down to her wing which she slowly raised at the contact, revealing the rest of me along with her egg. I could hear the masked person gasp and watched it crawl closer on all fours. Carefully the stranger reached out to touch the egg looking back at Shadow one final time, who simply purred.

Finally the person turned its attention back to me. Bringing its masked face close to me the stranger whispered: "You were Drago's prisoner?" It was a woman's voice.

I looked at the blue horned mask blankly and gave a weak nod before I closed my eyes again. _"I don't think she means any harm to us, Lilly." _Shadow's voice resounded in my head but I couldn't answer. It didn't matter.

So instead of me, I heard another voice, a male one, answer Shadow. "_No she doesn't, I can assure you. Can you fly?"_

_"Yes but not very far I fear, I am still exhausted from our escape. We tried to get as far away as possible." _Shadow answered.

_"Don't worry, we won't go far. I'll take your rider."_

_What? _Feeling large claws wrap around my body I snapped my eyes open again and gasped at the sight of a huge dragon lifting me up in the air, the masked woman standing on its back.

"_Where are you taking me?"_ my voice sounded harsher than I intended too._  
_

The dragon looked down at me and tilted his head curiously. "_You understand what I'm saying?"_

_"What does it matter? Where are you taking me?"_

_"Somewhere safe." _I could sense the dragons low growl in my head at my impolite answer but I couldn't bring up the strength to care. Looking to the side I saw Shadow flying close by, her egg in mouth and I let myself slip back into unconsciousness unaware that at the same time a familiar black dragon flew off the island in the opposite direction along with a purple one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All that happened was a blur for me. I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness but I didn't really sleep. There was movement around me, light as if from a candle and hands touching me. It made my skin crawl but I was too weak to pull away or tell them to stop. _Please...please... _my mind begged_...please just let me die..._

"Shh...shh it's alright." A calming voice came from somewhere above me, then there was something pressed to my lips and I couldn't help but swallow when a warm liquid filled my mouth. Then I fell into darkness.

My head pounded heavily when I finally woke up again. I groaned in pain as my vision cleared. My heartbeat sped up as my surroundings became clearer. I found myself lying on a cot covered with warm furs in what seemed to be a dimly lit cavern. 

Shadow was sleeping beside me, her tail curled around her egg. _  
_

_Where are we? _Getting into a sitting position I noticed that my tunic was gone and my entire torso was wrapped in white bandages. My head was spinning and I started to pant - feeling a panic attack coming.

_"Shadow? Wake up!" _I urgently nudged her side with my elbow but the only reaction I could draw from her was a low sleepy purr. She didn't even open one eye. _"Shadow please!"_ I pleaded. "_What happened?"_

Finally she opened one eye and yawned._ "Don't worry Lilly...we are safe. That nice woman took care your wounds. You slept for a whole day."_

_"Woman?" _I repeated, shaking my head. _"Where is she?"   
_

Shadow yawned again, looking utterly disinterested._ "Why don't you go looking for her?"   
_

_"Urgh...fine!"_ I grumbled under my breath and carefully got to my feet. My back stung as my wounds were stretched and I had to grind my teeth together to keep me from crying out as I took a step forward._  
_

The sound of rushing water and something else, like the flapping of wings, drew to my ear as I carefully stepped out of the cavern. Blinking several times due to the sudden light I gasped in awe when the sight of my surroundings hit me. _Am I dead? _

My eyes went wide in amazement as I saw hundreds of different dragons flying in circles right in front of me. Looking up I saw an icy ceiling, huge stacks of rock that served as pillars for the ceiling and land covered in lush grass or moss and flowers, a tropical smell in the air. There was a waterfall below with a lake that filled the lower sections of this gigantic, what? Cave? Mountain? Building? I had no words to describe what I was seeing. Everywhere were dragons, flying, relaxing, playing, doing whatever they pleased.

Though the ceiling was made of ice it wasn't cold inside but rather moist and warm. I remembered Hammond's tale of the sapphire island where they would live together with the dragons, this place seemed very similar to what I imagined it. Shaking my head I took a few steps forward.

_"I see you're awake."_

The voice startled me and I looked up to find the huge dragon who carried me before gazing down at me curiously. The dragon's face reminded me of an owl, he had two long spines that branched off his nose. On his back he had spikes and he had four wings. It was a dragon I had never seen before.

_"Y-yes...you took us here, didn't you?" _My head was spinning with questions.

The dragon chuckled and climbed down from a rock bringing his face to my eye level. "_Yes. I am Cloudjumper and who are you, girl with a dragon tongue?"_

I gulped as Cloudjumper's face lingered just a few inches away from mine. He tilted his head_. "I...I'm Lilly...and I guess I have to thank you..for saving us...where are we?"   
_

_"You are in the nest of the Alpha."_ Cloudjumper chuckled again. _  
_

_"Alpha?" _I didn't understand what he meant when I suddenly heard a gasp from behind. 

"You're awake."

Turning around I saw the foreign woman standing a few feet away from me. She had taken off her mask and I could see her face now. She had long auburn hair braided into three braids behind her back and blue eyes. She was wearing a yellow long sleeve tunic and brown pants and she had a few layers of cloth tied around her waist.

She approached me slowly, a soft look on her face as she tried to reach out and touch my bandages. I flinched away, a sudden burst of panic rushing through me. Instantly the woman's gaze saddened and she raised her hands in a calming manner. "It's alright...you don't have to be afraid of me. I took care of your wounds...it was Drago who did that to you, didn't he?"

I nodded, still overwhelmed by the strange situation. "Yes..." I breathed then cleared my throat as I found my voice again. "...my dragon and I were his prisoners but we managed to escape with...some help." Closing my eyes I felt a tear run down my face as horribly memories forced their way into my mind.

The woman came closer and I felt her hand touch my cheek, wiping away my tears. This time, I didn't flinch. I didn't know why, but something about that woman made me trust her...and her eyes...somehow they looked so familiar.

"Don't worry, you and your dragon are safe here and her egg is too. All dragons you can see here are under the protection of the Alpha."

I opened my eyes again. "Yeah Cloudjumper told me that, but who or what is an Alpha?"

The woman's eyes widened. "How do you know his name? You can understand what the dragons are saying?"

Smiling weakly at her bewilderment, I nodded. "Yes...that's why Drago captured me...he...he... wanted me to help him hunt dragons with my ability to communicate with them."

Her gaze hardened as she walked up the a dragon landing right next to her, stroking its snout. "This Snafflefang lost his leg to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps." She turned to another dragon. "This Raincutter had her wing sliced by razor netting. I try my best to save as much dragons as I can from this cruel man. You are lucky that you made it out alive."

Amazed by the sight of the woman standing in the middle of a bunch of dragons who where all nudging her and purring I simply nodded unable to speak as I was mesmerized by the affection the dragons had for this woman, their voices filling my head.

"What are they saying?" the woman looked at me with excitement. I shook my head slightly to get out of my trance and locked my gaze with hers.

"They call you _mother_." I whispered, the woman's eyes widened in awe and she returned to cuddling her dragons once more before she walked back to me.

"What is your name?" she smiled at me softly and I couldn't help but to return it, she had something loving about her that made me feel calm and comfortable.

"Lilly. My dragon's name is Shadow."

She took my hand in hers and led me back to the cavern I came from before. "Come Lilly, let's find you something to eat and look after Shadow. I'm sure we have much to talk about."

Following her into the cavern I asked. "Who are you?"

She turned her head and smiled. "You can call me Valka."


	43. Chapter 42 - Dragons Blood

Lilly's POV

"So you lived here alone with the dragons for the last nineteen years?"

Valka nodded and smiled while she roasted a fish over a small fire. "I couldn't bear that my village was constantly fighting against the poor dragons and one day Cloudjumper decided to bring me here. He knew I didn't belong to them."

She sat down beside me and handed me a plate of fish. I took it thankfully and looked into Valka's friendly eyes, feeling nice and warm around her. "I always thought I was the only one."

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"When I was five years old, I fell off a ship but Jali, a Scauldron and Shadow here saved me. They took me to their island and raised me. I lived with them for thirteen years all alone till I found my family again a few months ago. Or what remained of it. It felt so strange to live with other people again. But up to this day Jali and Shadow were the only family I knew."

I stared down at my food with quivering lips as memories of Viggo flashed through my mind, it hurt to think about him. My appetite was gone and I felt like I was going to be sick as a lump built in my throat. I miss you brother, it's all because of me. I had hoped that we could finally be a family again, I wanted you to be happy, but now you're gone.

Squeezing my eyes shut I suddenly felt Valka's hand touch mine. "You lived just like me." I looked up and saw Valka frown slightly at my sad face. "If you want to go back to your family, I will help you." she said softly and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

"I have no family anymore. They're all dead! My brother and grandfather tried to escape with me but Drago killed them both!" I threw my plate across the cavern in desperate rage causing Cloudjumper to jump slightly and Shadow gave a worried purr.

"Sshh, it's okay to be angry Lilly. Drago is a horrible man. You and Shadow can stay here with us if you like, you're safe here, Shadow's babe will be safe." Valka gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I allowed myself to rest my head on hers, crying bitterly. I nodded weakly and whispered. "Thank you."

Valka waited patiently till my crying slowly subsided, constantly rubbing my arm in a soothing manner. Finally I had no more tears to shed and got hiccups as an aftereffect of crying.

"Lilly can I ask you something?"

I sniffed and nodded, my head still on her shoulder.

"How can you understand what the dragons are saying?"

Lifting my gaze I saw Valka looking at me with honest fascination. I tried to speak but only a squeak left my mouth. Clearing my throat I tried again. My voice was still weak but audible. "Before my grandfather died he told me of the tribe I come from and how it came into existence a long time ago. At a place called the sapphire island..."

"...lived the guardians of dragons, heirs and protectors of the old dragon blood." I was interrupted by Valka and stared at her open mouthed. "I know the story about the dragon's child, but I always thought it was just a fairytale." Her eyes widened as she cupped my face with her hands, obviously intrigued. "You are the dragon's blood. That's unbelievable. No wonder Drago wanted to enslave you." she whispered.

My gaze hardened as she mentioned his name again. "Valka please let me help you. I've seen the horrible things Drago does with dragons, he lets them starve to death if they're to weak in his eyes. Please let me help you destroy his traps and free dragons."

She let go of my face and looked at me intently. "Some of us are born different Lilly. You and I we are meant to live with dragons and we will protect those who belong to us. I would really appreciate your help."

I smiled a little at her reassuring words. "Can you teach me how to fight?"

"I fear that I am not the best warrior under the sun, but I will show you what I can. But first let me introduce you to someone." She squeezed my shoulder lightly and I frowned in confusion as we got up and left the cavern once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hiccup's POV

"Do you think this will work?" I whispered under my breath.

"Well, I guess we need to figure it out." Viggo spoke lowly.

We were hiding behind a large rock near the port, Toothless and Fulgur behind us and waited for the right moment.

"Shouldn't we try to find the others first?" Seeing the large number of Drago's men walking round the port had my stomach knot with nerves. 

Viggo turned to look at me. "That would cost too much time Hiccup. Time my sister may not have. So are you with me or not?"

That did it, inhaling deeply I put my hand on Viggo's shoulder. "Let's do it."

Knocking down the two nearest guards was easier than expected, quickly we dragged the unconscious men behind an icy rock and covered ourselves in their cloaks. Toothless stepped forward but I pushed him back. "No bud, you and Fulgur stay here." Toothless growled in disapproval and tried to shove me out of the way. I knelt down and petted his snout. "Don't worry bud, everything is going to be okay, but we need you to stay here, this place is not safe for a dragon." Or for anyone.

Toothless looked at me with concerned eyes and purred worriedly but eventually walked back to Fulgur. "Good boy."

We started our way into Drago's camp, hood pulled deep over our heads while we walked along the wooden planks along the port. This place looked insane. I had never seen such a large armada of ships before, all of them equipped with all different kinds of dragon traps and catapults. In the distance I could see the huge fortress built of a mixture of blue ice and stone, the sight made me shudder. What's happening to all those dragons here?

We managed to leave the port unnoticed and were now heading towards the huge building when something else caught my eye, something horrific. "Oh by the love of Thor..." I gasped in shock. Viggo stiffened beside me as he followed my gaze. I couldn't fight the sudden sickness and threw up what little remained in my stomach since my last meal.

Viggo grabbed my arm harshly and growled. "Put yourself together!"

A group of men stopped and eyed us in suspicion. Viggo raised his free arm to them. "Don't mind him. The boy can't hold his ale." He turned to face me. "How often do I need to tell you? Don't drink during work!" He slapped the back of my head to emphasize his words and the men laughed as they walked away. Phew that was close.

Breathing heavily I looked up at Viggo, who still kept my arm in an iron grip and stared at the two bodies put on display in front of the fortress. One of them was Ryker, but where once had been his eyes, now were only two bloody holes. It was a horrific sight. His body was impaled high up above the ground, for everyone to see. Next to him was the body of an old man who had apparently received the same treatment. Around their necks hung a shield, the word Chiefs written on it.

"I'm sorry Viggo." I whispered, a cold shiver of dread running down my spine as I thought about what Drago may have done to Lilly.

Viggo closed his eyes for a moment. "Ryker was easy to deceive...but despite his actions, he was still my brother. I did not wish for him to end this way."

"What do you think happened here?"

"I don't know Hiccup, but we have to find Lilly before it's too late." He took a deep breath, his voice dropped in volume. "If anything happened to her...I'd die."

The sincerity of Viggo's words made my heart heavy, I knew he was saying the truth. He would not bear to lose his sister again.

We were about to enter the fortress when we suddenly heard a loud BANG coming from the port and the yelling of an all too familiar voice.

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Oh dad! Really?

I mentally face-palmed and heard Viggo curse under his breath as we turned around to see my father and the gang attacking Drago's men.

It didn't take long till the first of them was shot down by a net, it was Fishlegs.

"Tell me Hiccup, can't your friends stick to a plan for one single time?" Viggo growled as we spurted back down to the port.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" a loud voice coming from behind brought us abruptly to a halt.

Spinning around I saw a big, bulky man with long black hair and clothed in a black dragon skin cloak clashing a large bullhook to the ground. His face was scarred and his dark eyes were burning with fury.

I gulped. This must be Drago.


	44. Chapter 43 - A man worth killing

**Viggo's POV**

"Take those dragons down!" Drago yelled and almost instantly a various number of catapults fired their nets and chains to catch the dragon riders. They tried to dodge the flying nets but there were just too many, it didn't take long and they were all brought down, one after the other.

Stoick freed himself from the net with his axe and lunged forward to Drago in savage rage. "I want to know where my son is!" He raised his axe to strike but Drago dodged it with ease, the weapon buried itself in the wooden planks instead.

Drago let his gaze wander from the captured dragon riders back to a panting Stoick who was pulling at his axe to free it again. "Have I missed something?" he bellowed.

"I said where is my son!" Stoick yelled again while he freed his axe.

"What son?" Drago growled.

I felt Hiccup shift beside me and closed my eyes, reminding myself to stay calm. Breathe, just breathe, in and out. It would be for no ones good if we all lost our nerves. But oh how much I wanted to kill that bastard right here and now, be the one to bring him to a slow and painful death for all the suffering he had caused my family. Trembling with rage, I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to keep me from jumping at him. _I would never be able to save Lilly this way, even if I managed to kill Drago, we are outnumbered. Oh by the__ love of all gods, __why can't these stubborn, reckless, impetuous Berkians just do as they are told? Follow orders, is that too much to ask for? _

"Uh dad? I'm here!" Hiccup's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and snapping my eyes open again I watched Hiccup put his hood back and take a step forward. Stoick's eyes widened and Drago raised an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of aggravation and amusement.

He laughed darkly and pointed at Hiccup with his bullhook. "Your son I suppose. Trying to sneak into my base boy? Why?"

I watched Hiccup scratch the back of his neck, obviously searching for the right words. _Oh I can't take this any longer._  
Slowly I stepped out of the crowd and walked to Hiccup's side, shoving the hood out of my face. "Because of me."

Drago's raised his eyebrows even more as he approached me, eying me up and down with contempt. He was only a hand's breadth away from me when he finally stopped. "And who are _you_?!"

"You don't remember me? I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed, but maybe I can help you to jog your memory. I really appreciated trading with you until you decided to burn my village to the ground." my voice was hard and low.

Drago chuckled darkly when he recognized me. "Grimborn. I thought I killed you back then but never mind, we can catch up on that. Did you come to join your brother? I'm sure I will find a nice place for you and your foolish companions. Unless you're willing to bow to me now?"

I clenched my fists hard to keep me from punching him right into his scarred face and spoke in a low but hard voice. "I fear that I have to disappoint you on this one, bowing to you is not my intention. You have my sister and her dragon, I am here to demand her back."

Drago burst out laughing, all of his men joining him, causing Hiccup to jump slightly. I shared a quick glance with the boy when I heard Drago's voice again, his lips still curled into a malicious grin: "The girl is mine now! I bought her and will do with her as I please!"

"You can't just buy her, she's a person!" Hiccup burst out beside me, his eyes wide in disgust.

Drago snorted before he turned his attention back to me. "If you've come to beg for the girl, you should be on your knees."

"I'm not here to beg! I've come to free her and I swear to you, if you hurt her my face will be the last thing you see on this earth while you die screaming." I said threateningly but Drago only chuckled again in a way that made my skin crawl with foreboding.

"What honor!" he mocked and leaned in even closer to my face. "Too bad it won't save you." He turned to his men. "Kill the riders but keep the dragons."

"WHAT? NO!" Hiccup cried out beside me as Drago's men lunged forward to grab our friends. Instantly I unsheathed my sword, ready to fight Drago. Hiccup did the same with his flaming sword, three men already circling him.

Drago let out a loud battlecry and stormed towards me, his bullhook raised high. I managed to dodge his attack and strike myself, hitting his left arm. He didn't even wince and I frowned. _There should be a gash, unless his arm is... not a real one? _

Being distracted by my thought I realized too late that Drago was lunging forward again, raising my sword quickly in defense I could cushion the force of his blow a little but got knocked to the ground anyway. Drago towered over me, a deadly grin on his face as he raised his hook again.

That's when a familiar sound drew to my ear and I couldn't help but grin at the confused expression on Drago's face as he turned around only to be hit by a lightning blow. Drago screamed as the impact tossed him a few feet away. He came down lying flat on his back and almost instantly everyone stopped fighting, paralyzed by the sight of Drago's body lying on the ground.

Looking up I came face to face with Fulgur who tilted his head and purred. "Good boy, Fulgur. That was just on time. Thank you my friend." I got up and stroked his head.

"Toothless!" Turning my head I saw the black dragon licking Hiccup's face. 

"Hiccup!" The boy looked at me. "Take your friends and draw back!" He gave a quick nod and jumped on Toothless' back, taking off.

I turned and grabbed the nearest of Drago's men by his armour, pressing my sword to the man's neck. "Tell me where my sister is or I'll cut your throat."

The man looked at me terrified as I gave him a deadly glare. He tried to raise his hands and stammered: "S-she's gone... she a-and her dragon." I pressed the blade a little harder against his skin, drawing blood. "What do you mean, gone?" I growled.

"E-escaped... we j-just killed the two men."

_What? She's not here... she escaped. _Breathing heavily I let go of the man and jumped on Fulgur's back. _She's somewhere out there, all alone and probably terrified and wounded. I need to find her, but first I have something else to take care of._

"Can you help me with something my friend?" I whispered to Fulgur as he took off and he gave an approving growl in response.

Flying a circle around Drago's base we returned to the place where they had impaled my brother's body.

"Viggo!" I turned my head to see Hiccup on Toothless flying up to us. "What are you doing?"

"I am not leaving them here, they deserve to be laid to rest in a respectful way." Fulgur flew down and grabbed Ryker's body carefully with his claws.

"What about Lilly?" Hiccup looked concerned as Toothless grabbed the old man's body.

"She escaped, Hiccup and I have the feeling that my brother and this man helped her." I said and gulped back the lump in my throat.

Hiccup's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "But that means, she's somewhere out there!"

I nodded. "Let's get out of here before its too late."

Together we flew back to the island where I tamed Fulgur a day ago to meet the others who were already ahead of us.

_I know you are near little flower, I can feel it. Just hold on for a little longer._

Back down at the base, Drago came back to consciousness. Growling he stood up and looked after two spots in the sky who were quickly growing smaller.

"Huh." he smiled to himself. "Finally... a man worth killing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you think the reunion will be? I would love to hear your thoughts :) 
> 
> Have a nice day you all 🤗


	45. Chapter 44 - Finding You

**Lilly's POV**

Valka took my hand in hers and led me out of the cavern to the edge of a cliff.

"Welcome to the home of the great Bewilderbeast, Lilly. We all live under his protection and his command. Every nest has its queen but this is the king of all dragons." Valka laughed as she pointed down to the lake and my eyes widened in awe.

Sitting in the water was the biggest dragon I have ever seen. He had white scales and spikes all over his head like a crown and all the way down his back as well as two big tusks protruding from the sides of his head.

"Wow." I breathed and the dragon turned to look at me with his big blue eyes. Valka bowed beside me and I followed her movements, my eyes never leaving the dragon's gaze.

The dragon hummed causing the stones under my feet to vibrate as I sensed his voice in my head. _"Welcome dragon's daughter."_

_"You know who I am?"_ I said completely amazed by the impressive appearance of this dragon.

_"Of course I do, you have the eyes of a dragon. I am Konungr, I've seen your tribe in its bloom a long time ago. It's a terrible thing what happened to the sapphire island, compared to the safe haven it was for all kinds of dragons, my nest is insignificant."_

_"No it is not, look at all the dragons you're protecting. It's wonderful."_ I let my gaze wander around in wonder at how beautiful it was built.

Konungr laughed in his own dragon way causing the floor to vibrate again while Valka stared at us in bewilderment.

_"Come and take a closer look."_ He beckoned me to come to him with his head and I stepped closer to the edge, only hesitating a moment before I raised my hands above my head and jumped.

Valka cried out my name but the sound was drowned out by the splashing water around my body. Swirling around I broke the surface and swam up to Konungr. Taking hold on one of his tusks, I reached out my hand to touch his face.

He laughed again and I couldn't help but smile. For one moment all the dark memories were pushed aside as I stared into the crystal clear eyes of that majestic dragon.

"I wish I knew what you two are talking about." I turned around to see Valka standing at the shore of the lake, her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

Diving back into the water I swam up to her and took the hand she offered me. "We should get you something else to wear, come let me have a look if I can find something for you." Valka said as we walked back up to her cavern.

Back at the cavern Valka handed me a dark green long sleeved tunic and a pair of brown leather pants along with a pair of brown boots. "Here, these will do."

"Thank you Valka." I took the clothes gratefully, relieved that I could finally change out of the clothing Drago gave me to wear. I didn't want to have anything that reminded me of him on my body or even near it.

She smiled at me. "Come, let me help you braid your hair."

I nodded and sat down in front of her, closing my eyes as Valka let her fingers run through my hair.

_"She's a very kind woman." _Shadow's voice resounded in my head.

"_Yes, she is. I feel both sheltered and comfortable around her." _It was almost how I imagined having a mother would be like. The thought made me smile and when Valka stopped braiding my hair to one thick braid that I brought over my right shoulder, I turned around and hugged her.

For a brief moment she hesitated before she hugged me back. "Thank you Valka, for everything."

She pulled back to look at me and smiled gently. "You don't need to thank me..."

"Oh but I do!" I interrupted her. "I feel safe here and ... I ... I just wish I had known someone like you sooner ... I think you would be a perfect mother." I stammered, face turning red and suddenly I felt very stupid for saying that out loud as I saw Valka stiffen, turning her face away from me.

"You should not say such a thing Lilly. I am not the mother you think I would be."

My heart dropped as I saw the sad expression on her face and I bit my lower lip regretting I opened my mouth in the first place. "I'm sorry Valka."

"Don't be Lilly, it's okay." Her smile returned again as she got up. "Come, let's fly together."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valka let out a cry of joy as Cloudjumper and Shadow dove through the clouds with incredible speed and I tried to join her laughter but it got stuck in my throat. Although I always loved flying with Shadow, I couldn't feel the joy reaching my heart. Memories of Hiccup and me racing through the sky flashed through my mind causing my heart to sting. _I wonder if he's even looking for me, does he know what happened to Viggo? Is he missing me like I do? Maybe I should fly back to the edge... No it's safer for everyone if I stay out of their lives. I don't want anyone else to get killed because of me... Even if it means I will never see him again._

It was already getting dark when Valka and I suddenly spotted two strange lights in the distance. I knitted my brows in concern. _Who could that be?_

Valka locked her eyes with mine and said: "Fires. Maybe Drago's men."

I narrowed my eyes, thinking of what they did to Ryker and Hammond and felt hate raising up in my stomach. "I'll have a look." I said, determination in my voice.

Valka was trying to retort but I didn't listen as Shadow was already speeding towards the island in the distance, Cloudjumper following us as fast as he could but he couldn't catch up to a night fury.

Landing in the woods I carefully jumped off Shadow's back. The sound of low voices could be heard from the distance along with the crackling sound of fire. "_Stay here Shadow. I try to sneak closer to get a better look._"

"_It's too dangerous Lilly, what if they catch you again?"_

_"Don't worry, they won't. I grew up climbing trees, remember? I will not be seen. Wait here for Valka and Cloudjumper." _

_"But.." _I shushed Shadow and she glared at me but growled in defeat.

Inhaling deeply I stepped deeper into the woods always following the sound of the murmuring voices, taking out the dagger Hammond gave to me back at Drago's base. I cringed my nose as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. _Oh my what are they burning? Dragons?_

Suddenly the sound of a cracking branch broke the silence around me and I startled, my heartbeat speeding up I climbed up the nearest tree quickly. _Someone's coming._

Peering down into the darkness I could make out a dark cloaked figure coming closer. Obviously one of Drago's men picking up more fire wood. A deep feeling of hate swept through my body as I watched the man kneel down on the ground. Slowly I let my fingers run over the dagger as a reckless idea formed in my head. _Maybe I can't fight all of them but I could take my revenge for Ryker and grandfather on this one. _

Careful not to make any noise I climbed down the tree again and sneaked up to the dark hooded man who was still distracted collecting fire wood. I was trembling with anticipation, but tried to keep myself calm._ Just do it, you've seen it before, one quick slice to the throat and it's done._

Finally I was close enough, there's no turning back now. Shaking off any emotion I might feel I placed the blade of the dagger against the man's throat from behind. He tensed up immediately and though adrenalin rushed through my veins I managed to keep my voice low. "Dare to move and I'll send you back to Drago in pieces."

The man raised his hands slightly and said: "If Drago Bludvist is your enemy, we have something in common."

_That voice._

Instantly I let the dagger drop to the ground like I got burnt and stumbled backwards, gasping heavily. My whole body was shaking and I felt like my heart would jump right out of my chest.

The man got up and turned around slowly, shoving back the hood of his cloak. His eyes widened in disbelief as he caught sight of me.

"Lilly?" he called my name in a breathless voice, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

_Viggo.. No.. no that can't be true, it's not him.. I must be dreaming._

He took a step closer to me but I moved backwards shaking my head violently.

"Lilly, please..." he reached his hand out to touch me but I kept stepping back, panting heavily now.

"No. It not you! You can't fool me!"

He stopped. "I'm not. It's me Lilly, please...come back to me little flower..." his voice sounded desperate now. He looked so lost, standing there waiting for me to move.

I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my fists hard. _It's him, it's really him. He's been alive the whole time. _  
Opening my eyes again I felt furious. _He was alive the whole time._

I ran up to him and pushed him before I let my fists drum hard against his chest. "I THOUGHT YOU WHERE DEAD! I THOUGHT I LOST YOU FOREVER! HOW DARE YOU?!" I yelled in blind rage, hitting him the whole time and tears streaming down my face.

But Viggo just stood there like a statue, patiently enduring my outburst.

Finally I felt him wrap his arms around me, pressing me to him and I stopped hitting his chest, clinging to his tunic instead I couldn't stop sobbing, drenching the fabric with my tears as I felt my walls crumbling to dust. 

Viggo brought one of his hands to the back of my head, stroking over my hair gently while his other arm rested around my waist. He didn't say a word, all he did was being there like a solid rock to keep me standing, patiently waiting for my crying to subside. His heart was beating fast, I could hear it drumming in my ear.   
I couldn't believe it, he was really here.

"Viggo?" the sound of a familiar voice broke the silence between us and I raised my head slowly to see Hiccup standing a few feet away staring at me paralyzed.

"Lilly? Where are you?" came another voice from the other side and I heard a gasp as Valka stumbled out of the trees. Her eyes grew wide as she saw me standing there in Viggo's arms.

"What's going on here?" she whispered.


	46. Chapter 45 - Not Okay

**Lilly's POV**

For a moment nobody said a word. We just stood there staring at each other in pregnant silence.   
I raised my head carefully but refused to let go of my brother, afraid that my own mind was playing games with me and he would disappear again as soon as I pulled away. Hiccup's eyes met mine, he looked both shocked and relieved at the same time but there was also something else glimmering in his eyes, something I couldn't place. I wanted to say something, walk up to him and hug him, but I couldn't. I just couldn't move, I was frozen in my place with Viggo's body being the only thing that kept me from falling, my legs could not be trusted and I felt horrible because of it. Hiccup looked utterly lost the way he stood there, clenching his hands open and closed and bit his lower lip, insecure about what to do or say. It broke my heart seeing him like this and I felt tears well up in my eyes again at my incapability to act on it. I never felt so pathetic before.

Eventually he realized that I wouldn't move away from Viggo and he broke our gaze, turning to look at Valka instead and I could swear I saw single tear run down his cheek. Clearing his throat he broke the silence first. "W-who are you?" his voice sounded hoarse.

Valka looked from Hiccup to Viggo and me and then back to Hiccup again suspiciously, trying to get on terms what was going on. "I could ask you the same question." she said, crossing her arms.

This time Viggo spoke up: "I am Viggo Grimborn and this is my sister, Lilly. My friend Hiccup here and I were searching for her. May I ask how you know her?"

_They were searching for me, both of them. _I buried my face deeper into his tunic, inhaling his familiar scent like it was the only thing that could keep me from falling apart.

Valka's eyes widened as she stared back at Hiccup again and answered absentmindedly. "I found Lilly on this island two days ago, she was wounded and I took her with me." She turned her head to look at me and added. "Lilly, I'm happy for you that your brother is alive but it will be the best if I go now." Valka inhaled deeply and was about to leave when the roaring sound of another voice came closer.

"How long can it possibly take to collect more fire wood?"

Stoick appeared soon after with noisy footsteps. "Hiccup what are you..."

He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell first on Viggo and me before his gaze wandered to Valka who stood a few feet away, paralyzed.

"Oh my... this can't be." he breathed and took off his helmet. Slowly he approached Valka who backed away slightly, obviously distressed.

"I know what you're going to say Stoick." she raised one arm in a defensive manner. "You're going to say how could you? Leave you alone all those years and didn't come back. Let you raise our son alone. But I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting against dragons and would you ever listen? I thought you were better off without me. It's okay if your angry, just say something, shout, scream ...Oh don't be so stoic, Stoick..." her voice sounded panicked now and all of us stared at the unexpected situation in front of us wide eyed.

_Valka knows Stoick? _My mouth dropped as I watched Stoick reaching out a hand to touch Valka's cheek hearing him whisper. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you." Then he leaned in and kissed her.

Beside me I could hear Hiccup gasp in shock and turned to see him shake his head in disbelief, he was visibly trembling. "Okay, whoa so w-what's going on here? Dad?"

Stoick stepped aside and I watched a shaking Valka walk up to Hiccup carefully. "I'm sorry Hiccup, you were just a babe when I left. But a mother never forgets." She reached out a hand to him but Hiccup stumbled backwards, panting heavily now. "You're my mother? But how...why?"

"Sshh.. I'm going to explain everything to you..." Valka tried to shush him but Hiccup kept backing away, raising his hands in a defensive manner. "Whoa... that's really a lot... first Lilly returns out of the blue and now my mother that I believed was eaten by a dragon appears from Thor knows where...I need a time out..."

"Son, wait!" Stoick called after Hiccup but he was already heading back to their camp.

Watching Hiccup running away finally brought life back in my legs and wriggling out of Viggo's embrace I spurted after Hiccup, calling out his name but he wouldn't stop. _Why does he not stop? Oh please don't hate me Hiccup. _

Reaching the clearing where the gang had set camp I came abruptly to a halt. The sight of two big fires burning in the middle of the clearing left me standing there frozen. But it wasn't the fire that terrified me the most but the words that drew to my ear. A few feet away Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Snotlout were absorbed in a lively discussion. "Have you seen what he did with their eyes? Just cut it out, I wonder what Drago is doing with them." Snotlout stated. "I bet he eats them." That was Ruffnut. _What are they talking about? _I stiffened at the sound of Drago's name, a feeling of foreboding creeping up my spine. "Can we say Ryker looked the death in the eye?" Tuffnut mused and my heart dropped. I must have gasped quite audibly because in an instant everyone was staring at me and Astrid hit Tuffnut in his side with the elbow.

But I didn't care what they were doing. Like in trance I stepped closer to the fire and brought my hands in front of my mouth in shock. I could see the dark form of a human body flickering through the flames, that's what was causing the smell of burnt flesh. _It must be Ryker and grandfather. Drago, he..he cut their eyes out? It's because of me, they're dead because of me... Their bodies got defiled because they helped me... _

I felt like I was hyperventilating, the feeling of guilt weighed heavy on my heart and I couldn't breathe, the unpleasant smell didn't help either, I felt sick and fell to my knees in the grass, throwing up. A stifled sob left my throat and I tried to get up, but I couldn't, my body not cooperating with my mind once more, when I suddenly was picked up by someone.

"You're okay. Breathe Lilly, just breathe. It's okay. It's over now. You're safe." Of course it was Viggo, who put me back to my feet again, resting both his hands on my shoulders.

"B-but..." I stared into the flames once more.

"I know, but we don't have to talk about that right now. Just breathe. That's right." his voice was soothing and I tried to focus on my breathing to calm myself.

Taking another shaky breath I let my gaze wander around to find Hiccup and finally I spotted him standing in the shadows on the other side of the clearing. "Hiccup..." I whispered to no one in particular. Viggo squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. "Go to him."

Slowly I crossed the clearing and stopped a few feet away from Hiccup. He kept his back on me and I started to feel insecure, shifting from one foot to the other I called his name. "Hiccup?" my voice was weaker than I intended.

He stiffened but turned around slowly to face me, I could see that his eyes were moist and the sadness in his eyes almost broke my heart. "Hiccup..." I whispered again, taking another step closer.

He shook his head slightly but finally decided to talk to me. "I- I'm sorry Lilly." his voice was hoarse.

I frowned and tilted my head in confusion "Sorry? What for?"

He gestured to the fires in the background then back to me. "All of this would've never happened if I didn't let you fly off alone in the first place. It's my fault, I promised Viggo to protect you." his voice cracked at the last words and he looked down at the ground, avoiding my gaze.

Shaking my head I whispered: "It's not your fault Hiccup. You didn't know...I didn't know... what happened was just..." I couldn't continue as painful memories came flashing back into my mind and I had to bite back another traitorous sob sneaking up my throat. But Hiccup noticed it nevertheless and pulled me into a comforting hug, gently rubbing my back.

"Hey it's okay, you're safe now. You have Viggo. I've seen how much he needs you, how much you need him. He would've skinned every one of Drago's men alive to get you back. But you don't need me." My heart dropped at his last words. _How can he say such a thing? If it wasn't for him I would've never found my family, I owe him so much and he always made me happy before...it happened._

I pulled away slightly to look at him, his emerald eyes sparkled with tears in the firelight, I was completely lost. "That's not true Hiccup." my voice was barely audible, just for him to hear. "I do need you."

"Why?" he whispered back.

"Because...because I...I think I love you."

His eyes widened and I felt like my heart would jump right out of my chest. He didn't say anything. _Why isn't he saying something? _Feeling suddenly very stupid for confessing such a thing, I tried to wriggle out of his grasp. It was obvious that he didn't return my feelings. But Hiccup would not let go, he pulled me closer to him and put one of his hands under my chin, making me look at him.

"Hiccup please let go..." I pleaded.

"No." _What? _"I will never let you go again." My breath hitched when I felt Hiccup's lips touch mine but then my thinking stopped completely. It was all to much, a mixing cocktail of emotions rushing through my body I could taste my salty tears in our kiss while I clinged to Hiccup as if my life depended on it. Breathing heavily he broke the kiss first, resting his forehead on mine. "I thought I lost you."

Hearing a loud growling sound from behind brought us back to reality and I turned to see Shadow and Toothless rolling around the clearing, biting each other playfully and purring in joy to see each other again. I couldn't help but smile a litte, though it was not unshadowed. Soon Toothless would know that two of their babies were dead, they too became a victim of Drago. The sudden feeling of hate swept through my body and I trembled violently, causing Hiccup to look at my worriedly. "Is everything okay, Lilly?"

I couldn't find the right words to say so I simply nodded and pointed to Valka in the distance who was surrounded by our friends and looking at our dragons in awe. "You should talk to her, she's really a kind woman. She saved me."

Hiccup looked at his new found mother and sighed. "Yeah...I guess I should hear her out..."

Taking my hand in his we made our way back to the others and I noticed a foreign dragon standing close to my brother, who eyed Hiccup and me with a mixed expression on his face, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

_"Who are you?" _I reached out to the skrill and he tilted his head.

_"I'm Fulgur and you must be the girl my rider was looking for."_

_"Your rider? Who?"_

Fulgur pointed his head to Viggo and my eyes widened. "_Oh.."_


	47. Chapter 46 - Hope

**Hiccup's POV**

"You should have seen him, the moment I thought he would finally become a proper Viking, he just threw his helmet to the side and tried to tame the dragon! I was furious with him, at first. But then he defeated the red death and changed Berk for the better. I think we did well on this one, Val." Dad slapped me on the back, knocking all air from my lungs. His voice was filled with pride and I bit my lower lip, feeling awkward as I felt my mother staring at me with big eyes.

She had taken us all to the big dragon nest where she had lived since the day she left us and now we all gathered around a fire in the cavern, roasting fish, while our dragons were flying around outside. Well all except Toothless and Shadow who were lying behind us, cuddled together. This place was truly amazing, something I had never even imagined existed and the Bewilderbeast who guarded the dragons was the most impressive creature I had ever seen. Lilly sat next to me, Shadow's egg resting in her lap, she let her fingers trace over the black scaly surface absentmindedly.

"All this time you've been just like me, I can't believe it." My mother reached out to touch my hand, but I drew mine back. I was not ready to let her touch me yet.

"Yeah, you weren't around to see me, were you?"

Her eyes saddened and she looked to the ground. "No. Oh Hiccup, believe me it was so hard to stay away from you, you were so little and helpless. But one night you and your father nearly died only because I couldn't kill a dragon. I thought you would be safer without me."

I shook my head, still overwhelmed by the whole situation when I felt my father's hand on my shoulder. "I know it's much to take in, son. But just imagine your mother moving back to Berk with us, we could finally be a family again." He took mother's hand in his and put his other one on her cheek. "What do you say Val? Will you come back with me?" 

Mother let out a shaky breath and let her gaze wander from dad to me, her eyes wide with hope and sorrow. "Yes, if you want me to?"

Closing my eyes, I tried to sort out my emotions, I didn't know how to feel, it was all too much to take in.

"She is your mother."

_Huh? _I opened my eyes again and turned my head to Lilly, who was still stroking the egg, not bothering to lift her gaze as she whispered: "A mother always wants her children to be safe."

"Uhm...I guess." I sighed deeply and looked back at my mother. "I would be happy if you move in with us... mom. Just give me a little time, but I would love to get to know you. At least I know now where my incapability to kill dragons comes from." I smiled at her at my last words and everyone laughed, everyone except Lilly and Viggo, who merely smiled, but had only eyes for his sister who seemed to have drifted into another world - a world only she could see.

"Aah I am happy we found you, Valka and Lilly. You'll see lass everything is going to be okay now." Gobber took the fish from the fire and started serving everyone.

**Lilly's POV**

_What? _I startled from my thoughts and stopped my gentle movements on Shadow's egg to look up at Gobber. "Okay?" my voice trembled and I was on the verge of tears. "How can you say that?" I got up, shaking and was slowly but steadily losing control over my body, clutching the egg harder in my arms.

Viggo touched my lower arm in a soothing manner. "It's alright, calm down Lilly." But I couldn't, it was all too fresh and now as the first shock of what happened was fading away I was left with an unbearable mix of emotions pulsing through my system. A mix of terror, anger, guilt and grief taking over every inch of my body. Feeling hot tears welling up I locked my eyes with my brother's rich brown ones.

"I saw our brother and grandfather being murdered in front of my eyes. I had to witness as Drago smashed two of Shadow's eggs." my voice was clouded by my sobs but clear enough to hear. "Nothing is going to be okay." Everybody was staring at me in shock and I couldn't bear it anymore. I turned and ran out of the cavern, ignoring Viggo's call after me.

The horrific memories crushing back into my mind left me feeling like I would suffocate. I ran till I reached the edge where I met Konungr for the first time and let myself slip downwards on another rock, covered with green moss and leaned my head back against the cold stone, panting heavily and the egg still in my arms.

"Why am I cursed with this dragon tongue?" I said to no one but startled when I suddenly heard a low chuckle and a deep voice answered.

_"What one soul may see as a curse another soul may consider as a blessing." _

I turned my head to find the source of the voice and my eyes fell on Fulgur, who was lying two rocks away from me, his head slightly risen to look at me and yellow eyes glimmering in the darkness.

_"But if I couldn't speak to dragons Drago would have never wanted me. I wish none of this had happened. It's all because of me." _I felt a lump build in my throat again and sobbed.

Fulgur purred sympathetically before he answered me: _"Everyone who suffers wishes such things, yet it is not within our power to decide what our fate is. There is so much in this world that we don't understand, yet the only thing we have to decide is what we do with the blessings that are given to us. The father of dragons was meant to love the human woman which in your case means that you are meant to be the dragons daughter. And that is an encouraging thought."_

_"But my brother and grandfather got killed because of me, they stayed so that I could escape..."_

_"It was their choice to help you. They sacrificed themselves willingly because of love, my dear and that is the bravest thing a soul can do."_

_"How do you know all this?" _I sniffed as my crying slowly subsided and Fulgur chuckled.

_"I'm a Skrill, I've lived for many, many years and have seen more than you could ever dream of... Ah, I see we get company."_

"Lilly?!" Viggo appeared right above my hiding spot and wiping away my tears I called him. As soon as he spotted me, he jumped and sat down beside me, pulling me into his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder, like I did before when I found mother's diary back home and felt my heartbeat calming down. _Why is he the only one who can sooth me in an instant?_

"Will you forgive me Lilly?" He sounded so heartbroken that I lifted my head again to look at him.

"Forgive you?" 

"That I wasn't there to save you. I should've never let you go." his voice was barely above a whisper.

I shook my head. "No, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault what Ryker and Johann did."

"What happened Lilly? You mentioned a grandfather, was it the old man?"

Thinking of Hammond made me burst out in tears again, but Viggo gently brushed them away with his thumb and waited patiently for me to find my voice again. "Y-yes the old man was our mother's father, Hammond. Drago destroyed his whole island and killed everyone except our grandfather who got enslaved. He recognized me when Drago brought me to his fortress and helped me to escape. Viggo, he told me about the Sapphire Island, where our father met mother and forced her to come with him. Did you know that our mother comes from the bloodline of the first dragon who loved a human woman? That's why I can talk to them."

Viggo frowned. "Now that sounds like a fairytale, my dear."

I rolled my eyes impatiently and pouted. "But it's true, he wouldn't have lied to me. Please believe me, you and I we have dragons blood running through our veins."

My brother touched my cheek in a reassuring way and smiled a little. "I do believe you, how couldn't I? What happened to him and Ryker?"

I shuddered as I recalled the events of that fateful night. My voice was weak now, the feeling of guilt hasn't left me despite Fulgur's comforting words. "Ryker... he ... he regretted what he did to us. He read mother's diary and when our grandfather arranged a plan to escape, Ryker helped us but ..." my voice cracked "...they both got killed... Ryker distracted Drago to help me to get away..."

I watched Viggo's jaw clench tightly and rested my head back on his shoulders, not caring to hold back my tears. We sat there for a while, holding each other in silent mourning about our lost brother until Viggo broke the silence again.

"Did Drago hurt you?" his voice was hoarse.

I nodded into his chest, unable to bring to words what he did to me. Viggo tensed and growled under his breath before he spoke. "And did he touch you in any ... indecent way?"

_What? _I raised my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Viggo sighed in relief. "Nevermind, little flower. That was all I needed to hear."

I frowned, still not comprehending what he meant but was suddenly very worried. "What if he tries to get me again?" I shuddered at the thought of the madman.

Viggo took my hand in his, his dark eyes were sparking with such intensity that I felt my mouth go dry. His voice was low and deep. "If he ever tries to lay hands on you again, I shall cut his heart out with a dinner knife and serve it to you."

His grip around my waist hardened a bit, his eyes blazing quietly in the darkness. I had no doubt that he would follow through on his threat and it filled my heart with a strange sense of satisfaction. Viggo would kill for me. When he reached out and stroked my jaw, I could feel the tremor in his hand and he exhaled through his nose. "Come, my love, we should get some sleep now. A long journey lies ahead of us."

With that we got up and walked back to the cavern where everybody else was already asleep. Looking around I spotted Hiccup, lying next to Toothless and Shadow. I yawned and felt exhaustion taking over me, making it hard to even make my way towards them. I was about to move when I felt Viggo kiss my forehead and whisper good night before he walked to his own place to rest.

Carefully I snuggled under Shadow's wing, bringing her egg under it too and fell asleep as soon as my head touched the ground.

Hearing a strange, cracking sound I shot up from my sleep, panting and alarmed. _What's going on? _Beside me I could feel Shadow shift and slowly open her big blue eyes. "_Shadow did you hear it too?"_

_"Yes Lilly, everything is okay, look it is time."_

_"What? Oooh..."_

Looking down I gasped as I saw the eggshell cracking open. "Oh my Thor! Hiccup! Hiccup wake up!" I shook him hard and he grumbled in his sleep. "What? ... Lilly? Is everything okay?" His eyes fluttered open.

"Yes, just look...the baby is hatching!"

"What?" Hiccup sat up with a start and woke Toothless up who purred in excitement. Together we watched the eggshell crumble piece by piece until finally a tiny black dragon with green eyes stared up at us wide eyed. It let out a heartbreaking soft purr and Shadow licked the hatchlings face. Toothless purred in joy and I looked at Hiccup who had the widest smile I had ever seen spread across his face and I couldn't help but smile myself at the happiness in his eyes.

_"It's a girl. We should name it." _Shadow purred.

_"I think Lilly should choose a name." _Toothless nudged my shoulder in encouragement.

"It will be my pleasure." I whispered and took the tiny dragon in my arms, it sniffed me curiously and I couldn't help but laugh at its cuteness.

Looking the baby dragon in the eye I made my decision. "You bring light into my darkness little one. Your name shall be Hope."


	48. Chapter 47 - Flying back to...

**Lilly's POV**

"Oh Thor, she's absolutely adorable." Astrid's hand went to her mouth as she stared at the tiny creature only half the size of a Terrible Terror snuggled into my lap while I rested my back against Shadow's side. Shadow purred softly and looked down at her hatchling with pride.

"She is perfect." I whispered and let my fingers run over Hope's tiny head. It was still early in the morning but everybody was up already and now gathered around Shadow and me to marvel at the new hatched dragon. Toothless, being his happy self, was jumping around with the biggest gummy smile on his face and his tongue hanging out.

Shadow rolled her eyes at his childish behavior as Stoick petted his head. "Congratulations big boy!"

"Yeah she is kinda cute...but not as cute as chicken." Tuffnut crossed his arms and tapped one finger against his chin as he stepped closer to get a better look at Hope who opened her eyes and yawned, making the most adorable squeaking sound. "Oh no, not as cute as chicken...with this big green puppy eyes... and the cute noises... and being so tiny." His eyes grew wide and he reached out to the little creature. "Oh can I hold her, can I?"

Everyone laughed and I handed the baby dragon to Tuffnut after a hesitating moment, I didn't like to let her go.

"Aww you're so tiny." Tuffnut spoke in a baby sing-sang voice. "I will take you to chicken and read you both bedtime stories and ... aaah... I'm hurt, I am very much hurt!"   
Hope sneezed, blowing out a faint plasma blast and Tuffnut threw her high in the air to grasp his red nose with both hands.

My heart skipped a beat and I gasped in shock as I saw the baby dragon fall. Thank Thor for Hiccup's quick reflexes, he managed to catch Hope just a moment before she hit the ground. 

"Whoa, gotcha little one!" 

I brought my hand to my racing heart and sighed in relief as Hiccup deposited Hope back in my arms. Shadow and Toothless both growled at Tuffnut who was still complaining about his slightly burned nose causing Snotlout to snicker in malicious joy.

"Well I suggest we get packed and ready to fly back, shall we?" Viggo spoke up and soon enough everyone went to get their dragons leaving Hiccup and me alone in the cavern.

He stared after Stoick and Valka who walked out of the cavern holding hands and giggling like they were freshly in love. _Well they probably are. _

"They look happy." I said while Hope climbed up my chest to sit on my shoulder.

"Huh?" Hiccup startled from his thoughts and gave me a puzzled look. I pointed to his parents and he frowned. 

"Yeah, they do. To be honest, I've never seen my dad this happy before. But it's still hard to realize that my mother is actually alive and lived here like a tough, crazy, dragon rescuing lady." Hiccup gestured around the cave and shook his head slightly.

I smiled at him but felt a painful sting in my heart at the same time. "You've got your family back now, Hiccup. I'm happy for you." Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I turned my face away from him and bit my lower lip.

"Lilly, please tell me how you feel, let me help you." He touched my cheek softly and made me look at him, his eyes filled with sincere concern. I couldn't bear it and shook my head lightly.

"He's a monster, Hiccup. He takes dragons as slaves and he crashes those who are beneath him with no mercy...I've seen them, looked into their lifeless faces..." my voice cracked as memories of the starved dragons came to my mind and I closed my eyes trying to gulp down the feeling of rage flooding through my body. "All I ever wished for since the day I met my brothers was being a family again. I wanted us to be happy and now everything is falling apart and happiness...I don't know if I can ever feel that again..."

Hiccup cupped my face with both hands and locked his eyes with mine. "We will find a way, Lilly. I will make you happy again, I promise." He tucked a lose strand of my hair behind my ear. "You are my lady."

And then he kissed me. It was soft, gentle and loving and ... short lived.

"Ouch!" Hiccup let go of me and tried to free himself of the tiny Night Fury who was still biting his ear. I gasped and quickly pulled Hope away from Hiccup, putting her back on my shoulder from where she went to curl around my neck, seemingly enjoying being carried by me.

Hiccup rubbed his reddened ear and scolded at Toothless and Shadow who where both laughing in their dragon way. "Great another jealous lizard..." 

That did it, I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Hiccup's flustered face and after one short moment I saw a grin spread on his face. "See? That is a start." he laughed and turned around when we heard his mother calling for him.

"Uhm...I guess I should..." He scratched the back of his neck, eying me carefully but I simply nodded and took his hand in mine.

"Let's go."

Toothless and Shadow followed us close behind. Outside the cavern Valka was already waiting, she took Hiccup with her to show him the Bewilderbeast while I spotted Viggo standing next to Fulgur a few feet away from us.

**Viggo's POV**

There she was, stepping out of the cavern hand in hand with Hiccup and the newly hatched Night Fury curled around her neck. For a moment, I found myself struck by the sight of my sister. I had been gazing at her face every day of her first five years of life and still after she returned, her face had still been the same: innocent, pure, so physically untouched by the darkness that seemed to plague the male part of the house Grimborn. But now something had changed, I could see it glimmer in the depths of her eyes and I knew all too well what it was. The mixture of grief and anger and hate that simmered underneath and would slowly but steadily destroy her, if I couldn't stop it. I hated Drago with every fiber of my body for taking away my sisters innocence.

It didn't take long for her to notice me, she turned her head after Hiccup had left with his mother and a small smile formed on her face. I reached out a hand and beckoned her to join Fulgur and me. Slowly Lilly approached me and I pulled her into a hug, careful not to wake the now sleeping dragon resting on her shoulders. She felt so small in my arms, deserving to be protected an cherished.

"Your new necklace suits you well, little flower." I smiled at her, pulling away.

Lilly touched the dragon's head softly causing it to puff in it's sleep. "She is special, Viggo. The only one of Shadow's babies that survived. I want to protect her."

I nodded and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "And so will I."

She smiled again and tilted her head, gesturing to Fulgur who was standing next to us. "I can't believe you're really riding a dragon now. How did you meet Fulgur?"

I chuckled at her unbelieving expression and shared a look with the Skrill, gently touching his snout. "Well we had a stormy start you could say but eventually I could convince Fulgur that we are no enemies. It just needed a little trick."

Lilly turned to look at Fulgur and they locked eyes. It was obvious that they were talking about something. _How I wish I could understand them too. _The sudden sound of Lilly laughing startled me and raising an eyebrow I asked: "What did he say?"

"Well, dear brother, Fulgur appreciates your friendship but if you ever try to trick him again, he'll shock you." she whispered close to my ear in a mocking tone.

"Oh, I see." I looked at the dragon beside me who was undoubtedly grinning and shook my head slightly. If anybody had told me a few months ago that I would one day not only stop hunting dragons, but ride one myself and even believe that they are actually communicating and thinking like we are, I would have tossed that person into the sea and called him mad. But now everything had changed.

Still there are things that need to be taken care of. Making my decision I looked around for Stoick and finally spotted him approaching us together with his wife and Hiccup. The boy took Lilly's hand in his as soon as they reached us and muttered something about the amazing big dragon who guards this nest while she nodded in agreement and smiled at him widely, causing a familiar unpleasant feeling to rise in my stomach. However I had no time to pay much attention to it as I felt Stoick's heavy hands on my shoulders.

"I am sorry for your loss Viggo." he said with honest condolence.

"Thank you Stoick, but my love for my sister outweighs the grief for my brother." I replied truthfully and Stoick nodded in understanding before I continued: "Still there are things I need to take care of back at my own island. My tribe believes I am dead and with Ryker being absent as well I have a presentiment who has taken over my title as chief. I would like to claim it back and would truly appreciate if you could take care of my little sister till I am back."

"What? No!" turning my head I saw Lilly staring at me with panic in her eyes. She let go of Hiccup's hand and grabbed my arm, pleading. "Please don't leave me again." I could see that she was on the verge of tears and trembling, it almost broke my heart.

"Lilly, why do you say that?" I almost whispered, bracing myself for her answer.

"I don't feel safe unless I know you're nearby." Her eyes were moist now and she looked so much like a little girl once again. _Damn it. _I inwardly sighed, very well knowing that I couldn't refuse her anything.

"I will come with you, Viggo. In case you need help." Hiccup was determined and I frowned. I wanted Lilly back on Berk, not near any danger and now he suggests to accompany me with her.

"And so will we! You can't claim back your title as chief all on your own, can you?" Stoick exclaimed, receiving agreeing murmurs of the other riders who were now gathering around us.

I brought my hand to my face and sighed heavily. "You Berkians are really hard to shake off, aren't you?"

Gobber chuckled. "Yes and we are very stubborn as well." _  
_

_Oh really? I haven't noticed up to now..._

"So the decision is made, we all fly to dragon hunters island. Because if you hurt one of us, you get all of us and since Hiccup and Lilly seem to have a _thing _going on, we are not just allies but practically a family." Stoick exclaimed and patted his son on the back who blushed madly. 

"Dad, please!"

"Well, so be it then." Looking down I saw Lilly sigh in relief and leaned down to kiss the top of her head before we all jumped on our dragons and left Valka's nest behind.


	49. Chapter 48 - To claim back a title

**Lilly's POV**

I didn't know how long we were already flying, it could have been six hours, maybe eight given the fact that the sun was already sinking beneath the horizon, dyeing the sky in bright orange and red. It didn't matter though, it would take us at least two more days to reach our island if we manage to fly the whole day without remarkable breaks. My whole body ached and my legs felt numb from staying in the same position for hours.

Feeling Hope stir in my lap, I looked down and found her staring at me with big green eyes. She squeaked and started to nibble at my fingers. _"She's hungry." _Shadow turned her head to look at the tiny black dragon and I gave a small nod in understanding. _  
_

_"We need to find a place to rest."_

Letting my gaze wander, I made out the form of a small island on the horizon and called out for my brother, who was leading us together with Stoick.

"Viggo!"

He turned his head to look at me and I pointed to the distant island. "We need to rest." He nodded, following my gaze.

"Alright, let's set camp for the night on this island!"

Soon enough we landed at a rocky shore and I jumped off Shadow's back with wobbly legs and tumbled. I tried to get hold of Shadow to prevent me from falling when I suddenly felt warm arms wrap around my waist, keeping me on my feet. 

"Whoa...careful milady." Hiccup chuckled, his hot breath tingled in my ear and I felt heat creep up my cheeks. 

"Hiccup, I told you...don't call me a lady." I muttered under my breath and the heat in my cheeks intensified when I realized everyone was staring at us. Hiccup chuckled again, but let go off me immediately as he noticed the staring too, his own cheeks turning lightly pink.

My brother furrowed his brows and I could swear I heard him growl in annoyance before he broke the awkward silence. "Let's find a place to set camp, shall we?"

Picking up Hope once again to let her rest on my shoulder, I followed our group into the woods when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning my head I realized it was Astrid walking beside me. "So...uhm...Lilly, I just wanted to tell you, that it's good to have you back. Hiccup didn't stop blaming himself for what happened to you. It broke my heart to see him like this..." she paused and looked me straight in the eye. "He really cares a lot for you, I have realized that now."

I turned my gaze to the back of Hiccup's head who was walking a few steps ahead from us, talking with his mother and smiled. _They seem to get closer to each other. _

"And you should've seen Viggo, he was so determined to save you. Johann tried to kill him and we really feared that he wouldn't make it at first. He was terribly injured, but your dragon, Jali, saved him." Astrid continued. _  
_

_Jali saved him? _

I stared at her in shock and felt a sting in my heart at the thought of my big blue friend, I missed him.

"Viggo didn't say a word about that." I knitted my brows but Astrid hurried to continue.

"I'm sure it's only because he doesn't want you to worry about him. I never thought he could even care about someone at all." She shook her head slightly when Ruffnut joined our conversation.

"Yeah and the way he killed that bastard Johann was just awesome, Berk will talk about that for years." she said excitedly and Tuffnut nodded in approval. 

"Truly a masterpiece, the best show we got in years."

"Yeah...hey wait a minute, would you do that for me too?" Ruffnut put her hands on her hips and stared at her twin expectantly.

Tuffnut scratched his head: "Uhm..."

But I didn't pay attention to their ongoing arguing about who would make the better pair of siblings or Astrid who brought her hand in front of her face and groaned in frustration. All I could think about was how far Viggo would actually go to save me. _He really cares about me that much?_ I haven't realized it up to now and the feeling of guilt spread through my body. All of them had risked their own lives to get me back. I bit my lip, my heart feeling heavy. _How do I deserve this?_

Finally we reached a small clearing and gathered around a campfire, roasting fish while our dragons had caught their own in the small lake that marked the center of the island.   
I sat close to the fire on a mossy log, my face growing warm, mesmerized by the flames that licked at the wood and I managed to relax for the first time since I got kidnapped. It was like the flames were burning my worries and send them heaven bound along with the dark smoke. Even if it would only last for a moment, I didn't care.

  
Hiccup sat next to me and handed me a roasted fish on a stick. Carefully I tugged small pieces off the fish and fed them to Hope, who rested in my lap. The tiny dragon purred and swallowed the whole piece down greedily. I chuckled at the little gluttonous dragon, she really warmed my heart.

"You would really make a good mother, lass."

_Huh?_

I looked up and saw Stoick staring at me with a happy glimmer in his eyes. He nudged Viggo's side with his elbow and chuckled. "Just imagine, Viggo. Wouldn't that be great, your sister and my son bringing our tribes together and give us new heirs."

Beside me Hiccup almost choked on his food and began coughing uncontrollably. I pounded his back and he managed to rasp out. "Dad! Please!"

Viggo simply glanced from Hiccup, who still looked like as if he might be on the verge of a heart attack, to me with an unreadable expression. "It's a bit early to talk about such things, don't you think Stoick?"

Stoick chuckled again at his son's reaction and continued eating without bringing it up again. The thought of becoming a mother frightened me, I don't think I could handle it. I mean, I could hardly save myself and with Drago being still out there and probably lurking for me it was just unthinkable. _Is Hiccup expecting me to have his children? _My breathing started to hitch and I felt anxious from one moment to the other. It was just too much to take in.

"Here, take her please." I shoved Hope into Hiccup's lap and got up, overwhelmed by my feelings. _I just need to be alone._

"Lilly, wait where are you going?" Hiccup called after me but I didn't care.

"Stay, Hiccup." _  
_

My brothers voice sounded from the distance as I spurted to the shore of the small lake, the surface shimmering in the moonlight and sat down, bringing my knees to my chest and buried my head in my arms wrapped around them. I trembled and my heart pounded heavily, but I didn't cry. _How can I ever be what they are expecting? For the gods sake, I don't even know how this is supposed to work!_

Feeling a familiar hand on my shoulder I opened my eyes again to find my brother sitting down next to me. "Do you want to talk?" His voice sounded caring and his features had softened. It suited him much better than the stern look he was constantly wearing on his face caused by the many burdens he had to bear as a chief. I liked how he would always let me see through his mask, something he didn't allow anyone else.

I shook my head. "How can I be what everyone is expecting me to be?"

"No one is expecting anything of you, my love. And whatever comes, you will still be Lillian Grimborn. Only your name would change if you marry, but that doesn't change who you are." he spoke softly.

I knitted my brows. "And when will I marry?"

Viggo gave a snort. "Never, if I can help it." 

"You are impossible." I rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled. 

"Just jesting, little flower." He leaned forward and brushed his nose against mine in a playful manner before he got back up. "Come, we should get some sleep, it's still a long way till we reach our island."

Together we walked back to the camp and I curled myself up under Shadow's wing, cuddling Hope close to me, I drifted into sleep almost instantly.

_I walked along a beautiful beach, the ocean was glittering in the brightest sapphire blue and the smell of rich but foreign flowers filled the air. Above me I could see all different kind of colorful dragons flying around the island, even more than in Valka's nest. Lilly! Lilly! I could hear someone calling my name and stepped forward, my feet leaving faint footprints in the sand. Lilly! The voice sounded happy and I felt my heart speeding up in an undeniable urge to get to the person it belonged to. Finally I spotted her, a woman with long red hair and bright blue eyes stood a few feet away from me, her arms wide open and the sweetest smile on her face. I giggled and reached my arms out to the woman, just a few more steps and I would reach her. But suddenly her smile faded and she turned her face away from me as big dark dragons descended from the sky, setting the whole island on fire. I could hear people scream and dragons roar in agony and suddenly the woman turned into my grandfather, he looked terrified and shouted: Run! on top of his lungs but I couldn't, my feet didn't cooperate with my mind and I watched in horror as a dark figure sliced my grandfather's throat and then approached me with quick steps. No, no! I panicked but just couldn't move. I screamed on top of my lungs when the big figure grabbed me by the back of my neck and whispered in a voice as cold as ice. "You can't hide from me, little dragon, I'm coming for you and I will kill them all."_

"NOOO!"

"Lilly! LILLY! Wake up!"

Panting heavily and sweat dripping from my face I slowly came back from my nightmare. _Where am I? What's going on? _I trembled violently but sensed that someone was holding me, pressing me against a broad chest. I could hear the person's rapid heartbeat. "It's okay Lilly, wake up! It was just a bad dream. I'm here, you're safe." _Safe? How can we ever be safe as long as he's out there?_

_"_He will find me..." I panted and clutched the fabric of what must be the person's tunic.

"No. No one will hurt you again, I promise." the voice sounded concerned. Slowly I came back to my senses and realized it was Viggo rocking me back and forth. Next to us knelt Hiccup, his eyes wide with terror as he witnessed me thrashing around and screaming in my sleep. _It was just a dream? It was just a dream. _I repeated the words over and over again and tried to focus on my breathing.

"He will kill you all..." I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Shhh, no one will be killed, it's alright..." Viggo whispered.

But I couldn't bring myself to answer, my dream seemed like a dark foreboding.

_"You are stronger than you think dragon's daughter."_

_Huh? _Opening one eye I could see Fulgur standing close by and looking at me with big yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.

_"No I'm not... "_

_"You are the blood of the dragon. You have more power than you think. It's inside you. And I have the feeling that you will decide the fate of many, humans and dragons alike."_

_"But how could I..."_

_"You will see, all has it's time. There is a time to live and there is a time to die, all we have to do is to decide what we do with the time that the gods have given to us. So when you ever face Drago again, let him see the fire in your eyes, not tears."_

_I don't want to see him ever again... _Sniffing I buried my head into the crook of my brother's neck.

Time skip of two days, Arrival at Dragon Hunters Island 

The last two days went by in a blur. Every night the same nightmare would plague my sleep only the persons who got killed by Drago changed from time to time. The night I saw Viggo and Hiccup being stabbed was the worst, I couldn't stop myself from screaming and now everyone was noticeable exhausted from the lack of sleep, especially my brother and Hiccup who took turns in watching over me. Looking to the side, I watched Hiccup yawn and rub his eyes on Toothless' back. I felt really bad for being such a burden to him but he constantly tried to reassure me that I wasn't. _I guess he is just too nice to say the truth._

"Oh by Odins beard! What happened here?"

Stoick's voice startled me from my thoughts and I turned my attention to my hometown below us. "No!" I cried out and could hear the others gasp audibly beside me.

All the new constructions my brother started to build were destroyed, the streets covered in blood. Dragon blood. The remainings of the poor slaughtered creatures were assembled to several piles, waiting to be processed to dragon leather or something similar. Shadow and the other dragons growled in distress at the sight of their killed fellow species and instinctively I pulled Hope tighter to my chest.

Viggo growled lowly and gestured us to land in front of the great hall.

As soon as the citizens saw our dragons landing they stopped whatever they were doing and gasped in shock, some would even run away and scream.

Viggo jumped off Fulgur's back and barked: "Who is responsible for that?! I demand an answer and I demand it now!"

The people came closer and I could hear them whisper in disbelief. "Chief Grimborn?" "I thought he was dead?" "And his sister too..."

An elder man whom I recognized as Magnus, a man of Viggo's council, stepped out of the crowd with a shocked expression on his face. "Chief Grimborn, is that really you? We all believed you dead."

"Well fortunate enough I am very much alive. And now tell me, Magnus, who gave the order to do this?" Viggo gestured to the dead dragons, his eyes grew even darker with fury.

"I did." 

Viggo spun around and my eyes widened in shock. This man, I knew him.

"Asmund." Viggo growled lowly. "I guessed that this is your doing."

Asmund laughed coldly, his long black hair blowing in the wind. "Of course I did, you were about to ruin our tribe, despise the way we lived for centuries because your witch of a sister told you so. Too bad that Johann didn't do his job properly."

Viggo approached Asmund at a threatening low pace. "Don't you dare to talk about her like this. Your plan failed Asmund, I am alive and I came to claim my title as chief back, which is mine by right."

Asmund laughed again. "Not anymore, the council declared me as new chief. Someone who treats our old traditions with honor and pride. Oh what would your old grandfather say if he could see what you've become, huh? He would be disgusted. But I know the right way..."

Viggo grabbed Asmund by the scruff of his neck and teared his cloak aside, revealing the insignia of Drago Bludvist on his armor. "How long have you been working for him? How long have you betrayed your own tribe, Asmund?"Then he turned to the crowd. "Is this the chief you choose? A man who works for Drago Bludvist, the same man who burned our town to the ground and is responsible for the death of a hundred of our people, men, women and children?"

The people started to murmur and Magnus stepped forward once more.

"It's not so simple Sir. You know our law. If a new chief is elected by the council, the decision is binding. There is only one way you could claim your title back." Magnus shifted from one foot to the other, obviously uncomfortable and I started to feel anxious. _What could he mean?_

Viggo closed his eyes for a brief moment and said coldly: "The title can only be claimed back by winning a one to one combat, it will be a fight to the death."

_What? No he can't be serious. _I inhaled deeply started to shiver violently. "No! Viggo, please don't!"

Asmund snickered and cocked his head in arrogance. "You should listen to your baby sister."

Viggo locked his gaze with mine and I shook my head in a silent plead. His expression was unreadable as he slowly broke our eye contact.

I felt tears run down my cheek when I heard him say in a low but determined voice. "I'll do it."


	50. Chapter 49 - Fight of chiefs part 1

**Viggo's POV**

"Very well then, so be it. May the gods decide who is worthy of calling himself chief." Asmund sneered, his grey eyes held an evil glimmer as he locked his gaze with mine.

I could hear Lilly sob behind me and closed my eyes for one brief moment, trying to keep my countenance. Oh how much I despised this man right now, the feeling of betrayal was almost too hard to bear. After all I've done for this tribe to build up it's reputation as trustworthy trading partner, always putting the needs of my people first. For generations the house Grimborn held the title as chieftains, for generations my family has been leading our tribe with dignity and honor. I've known Asmund my whole life, he was only one year older than me, the Riber family has always been close to the Grimborns and I counted on him as one of my most trusted counselors. But I was blind it seems, blind for the signs of his deceit. I should have seen it coming all along. But I didn't and now I heard the same words once again, like I did fourteen years ago. Only that it was Ryker I challenged back then and it was no fight to the death but the passing of three different tasks including a duel with my older brother. I proved myself worthy of being chief back then and if the gods wish, I will prove it again.

"My companions and me have a strenuous journey behind us, we are all exhausted. Grant us one day to rest and then we can arrange the combat." I demanded, my face void of any emotion, the mask I was so accustomed to wear.

Asmund laughed lowly and took one step closer to me, a provoking expression on his face. "You're in no position to bargain, Viggo." He eyed me up and down in contempt before he lifted his gaze to the dragon riders who stood a few feet away, watching the scene with a horrified expression on their faces. "You brought our enemies right into our middle, I should put you all in chains and throw that dragons of yours in the cages where they belong." he snarled.

"Enemies? ENEMIES?! We've signed a peace treaty with your tribe you son of a..." Stoick was outraged, he approached Asmund with quick steps but I stepped in between with my arms raised. It would only escalate the situation if Stoick lost his nerves now. _Oh by Thor's hammer those Berkians and their temper..._

"Easy Stoick. Of course there is a peace treaty." I tried to calm him down but Asmund behind me only laughed, he was obviously enjoying the be in charge. _Go on, laugh Asmund. Soon I will wipe that grin off your face. _

"No actually Viggo, with me being chief the first thing I will do is shred that worthless peace treaty to pieces and take your little friends here as prisoners. I am certain to find a good use for your dragons too." a gloating grin curled his lips as he spoke and I felt my own temper rising uncontrollably when he let his gaze linger on Lilly, eying her with unconcealed hunger.

"Yes I will find use for everyone indeed." he licked his lips and now it was Stoick who had to hold me back by my arm as savage rage rushed through my veins. _I'm going to rip his grinning head off!_

"Don't you dare to look at her like that!" I growled matching our dragons who got into a defensive position hearing his threatening words.

Asmund was about to retort when Magnus stepped in between us, his arms raised. "This discussion is pointless. None of you is chief until the combat is decided." he spoke in a neutral voice.

I glared at Asmund as he brought one hand to his chest letting out a fake sigh. "Well, I grant you one night to rest. It would be no challenge to fight a tired out opponent. The duel will take place tomorrow morning at sunrise, meet me at the town square."

"What about my house?" I growled.

"It is yours...for tonight. And make sure none of your _dragons _prowls around in the streets or I will take no guarantee for its safety." he grinned again before he turned to leave.

"I don't take orders from anyone!"

Asmund stiffened for a second but continued to walk away, his black hair and dark red cloak blowing in the cold breeze, I could hear him laugh again. _That arrogant bastard._

**Lilly's POV**

The dark wooden double door opened with a squeak and we entered our empty, cold house. Finding the halls abandoned caused a shiver to run down my spine, the house was nothing like the lively place I found the first time I came here. I clutched my arms around my chest in an attempt to warm myself up when I suddenly felt someone else's arms wrap around me, rubbing my upper arms to keep me warm. Turning my head I found Hiccup smiling down at me. "Are you okay?" his voice full of sincere concern. Looking at my brother who was busy lighting the torches along the wall I shook my head and turned my gaze back to Hiccup's bright green eyes.

"I'm worried...will you give me a moment alone with him?" I whispered.

"Of course. Maybe we can find something to eat. Do you know where the kitchen is?" Hiccup let go off me and beckoned the others to follow him into the direction I pointed, leaving me alone in the entrance hall along with our dragons. Viggo had disappeared into the living room at the end of the hall, the same room we played Maces and Talons when I first came here. 

I entered the room slowly to find Viggo starting a fire before he walked over to a low desk and rummaged through a pile of parchments, grumbling under his breath the whole time and obviously unaware of my presence.

"Viggo?" Only then did he look at me, his expression unreadable. He pointed to the parchments that now lay strewn across the desk. "Seems he has taken all of my most important documents."

_Is he serious? How can he be talking about some stupid documents considering what he is up to tomorrow morning? _  
I stopped in front of him and gave him a pleading look. "Please don't do this brother."

Viggo snorted "You have no idea what you're asking for, Lilly. I have to, for the honor of our tribe, for the name of our family." He put his hands on my shoulders but I snapped them away, feeling anger rise in my stomach.

"To Hel with your honor!" I spat, my cheeks heating up "And to Hel with the name of the family! If you die, I won't have any! Please don't!"

"Don't you understand what I'm saying, Lilly?!" he thumped his fist on the wooden desk and I startled at his sudden outburst. "I am the chief, it is my responsibility to look after my people. And I will not stand by and watch how this traitor ruins our tribe, he works for Drago Bludvist for Thor's sake! Do you understand what that means?!"

I shuddered violently as he mentioned _his_ name and felt tears well up in my eyes. _I know what that means, no one will be safe. He will find me, he kills them all..._

Viggo's features softened instantly as he saw me crying. "Lilly...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he reached out to touch me but I backed away, shaking my head.

"Lilly please, stay." he whispered now but I couldn't, I needed to get out of here. Turning around I spurted out of the room just the moment when Astrid and Valka entered with two boiling bowls.

"We made dinner!" they cheered, the rest of the gang following close by.

"I'm not hungry." I mumbled and ran up the staircase to my room, throwing myself on my ice cold bed I buried my face into the pillow to muffle the sound of my desperate sobs. I didn't notice that someone entered the room until I felt the touch of a warm hand on my back. "Go away, Viggo! You've made your point."

"It's me."

Sniffing I lifted my wet face from the pillow to find Hiccup sitting on the edge of my bed. Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand I sat up. "I'm a pathetic crying mess, Hiccup. I-I'm sorry to be such a burden..."

"You're not, not for me." he cupped my face in his hands and wiped away my tears with his thumb, bringing our foreheads together. Inhaling his familiar scent I closed my eyes, calming down.

I could feel his shaky breath against my lips before he locked his with mine in a short kiss. Too short. I would not have this, I needed him like breathing air. His lips were still lingering close to mine when I caught them again. Sucking Hiccup's lower lip into my mouth he gave a surprised gasp but responded immediately by kissing me back. Slowly I grabbed the fabric of his tunic and pulled him down with me. We were facing each other, or noses touching and Hiccup traced the lines of my face with his fingers. I bit my lip at the sight of him. The look in his eyes was full of affection, I could hardly bear it.

Hiccup brushed my lips with his thumb before he claimed them once more with his own. The kiss grew more intense from minute to minute and I shuddered at the feeling of his tongue grazing the seam of my lips, asking for entrance. Without thinking twice I parted my lips and couldn't suppress a moan as I felt his tongue moving against my own. I inched even closer to him, not willing to tolerate any space between us. Carefully Hiccup shifted our positions until he was on top of me and broke the kiss. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at me. His face was blushed red and he was breathing heavily. I was sure my facial color matched his own.

I could feel a pleasant heat rising between us and the look in Hiccup's eyes had changed slightly. There was still affection but also something else, something I couldn't place glimmering in the green depths. It was an overwhelming but very confusing feeling, something I never felt before. All I knew was that I wanted to be closer to Hiccup. Finally he bent down to kiss me again and I couldn't suppress a small whine of pleasure as shivers flew over my skin. I let my fingers run through his hair to pull him even closer and when he started to kiss his way from my mouth to my neck I gave another quiet moan.

"Lilly? Are you alright?"

Snapping my eyes open, I pushed Hiccup off of me, causing him to fall off the bed and land on his rear as the door flung open and Viggo entered the room.

"Ouch. What was that... oh" Hiccup's eyes widened in shock at the sight of my brother standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"So, my dear Hiccup, mind telling me what's going on here?" Viggo let his gaze wander from my flushed face to Hiccup's bright red one and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.

"Uh..uhm...well Viggo, you see I.." Hiccup scratched the back of his head, my brother was obviously making him nervous.

"He was just comforting me brother." I sat up and looked at Viggo, who didn't seem convinced at all.

"Just comforting, I see. Well it's late and I have to get enough sleep for tomorrow's event as you very well know. So I would be very pleased if you, Hiccup and your comforting hands, would find their way to your own room. Now."

Hiccup got up on wobbly legs and left the room but not without winking at me before he walked out into the hall.

Viggo looked at me intently, his face unreadable again before he turned to leave as well. "Good night little flower." he sighed.

"Viggo wait." He stopped and looked back at me. "Stay with me, please?"

He didn't move for a moment as if he was pondering whether he should or should or not stay, before he closed the door and smiled. "Alright, if you wish it."

"I do."

He climbed under the fur blankets with me and I rested my head on his chest while he wrapped his arms around me.

"Viggo?" I whispered.

"Yes?"

"Promise me that you will not die."

"I will try my best."

"No, that's not enough. You are not allowed to die, not until we're old and crumpled."

"I will not be crumpled..." he chuckled as I punched his chest.

  
**Viggo's POV**

It was a crispy morning, the rising sun bathed the town square in its orange light. The whole town was already up and gathered around the square, the noise of excited chattering filled the air. I could even hear people bringing up bets of who would win the combat. I forced myself to bring my attention back to Lilly and our friends who were standing next to me, waiting in anticipation. Our dragons were still at my house, given that under this circumstances it was safer for them, I didn't want to risk a panic among the people.

Turning around I found Hiccup and Lilly staring at each other like dorks. I rolled my eyes and gave an annoyed growl. But who could blame Hiccup? I walked up to him and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, startling him. "Hiccup, may I have a word with you?"

He blushed again and stammered: "Uh...sure."

Walking a few steps aside I whispered to him intently "If something goes wrong today, I want you to take Lilly and your dragons and leave this island as fast as you can. You need to protect her, Hiccup. Do you understand? Asmund may not lay hands on her."

"But Viggo..."

"No buts, have I made myself clear?" my voice was barely audible but Hiccup nodded.

"All clear, Viggo."

The sound of a horn made us turn around and I saw Asmund approaching, his light grey eyes glimmering in the sunlight, they were cold and determined. But so were mine.

I hugged Lilly one last time before I stepped into the middle of the place, across from Asmund.

Magnus raised his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen we have gathered here to witness the fight between Sir Viggo Grimborn and Sir Asmund Riber. May the gods decide who will lead our tribe as future chief." The crowd was cheering.

"Now," Magnus continued "please choose your weapon."


	51. Chapter 50 - Fight of chiefs part 2

**Viggo's POV**

Inhaling deeply I drew my ruby set sword and watched cautiously as Asmund deposited his dark red cloak into a woman's arms, whom I recognized as his mother and unsheathed his own double edged sword, whirling it around in one hand and a wicked grin spread across his lips. _Always your arrogant self, aren't you?_

But Asmund was not an opponent to underestimate. Growing up with him I knew how nimble and skilled he was. Our fathers always encouraged us to compete with one another, giving us both the advantage of knowing each other's moves.

_"Mind your stance, boy!" Father yelled while he watched me block another attack of young Asmund's wooden sword. I pushed the black haired boy backwards and circled away from him, keeping my sword in motion and continually changing my guard and stance, like father showed me. Asmund lunged forward again and I countered. I could hear father murmur in approval till another sound caught my attention. "Igo." Just for one second, I let my guard down and turned my head to Lilly who reached her toddler hands out to me and laughed. The next second I lay flat on my back, wooden blade to my neck and heard Asmund sneer: "Haha, killed you!" _   
_Father was furious, he pulled me up by the scruff of my neck and shook me. "Never let yourself get distracted, you hear me son? Such carelessness will get you killed."_

Asmund let his gaze wander around the crowd as he slowly approached me and sneered: "There's still time to retreat now, Viggo. Give up on your claim and no one must be hurt."

Anger tore at my mind. Anger and hate for Asmund's betrayal, for being forced into this situation, anger for the way he would look at my sister. I narrowed my eyes, all I wanted was to unleash all my rage and hate on this traitor: "Stop this, Asmund and I might show you the mercy of a quick death for your deceit."

Asmund only snorted: "Well I guess I have to finish what Johann started then."

"Good luck trying." my voice was void from emotion, although my heart was racing in rage and anticipation.

Asmund did not have to be told twice. He raised his sword with his right hand and lunged, aiming for a downward diagonal stab at my shoulder.

The violence of his stroke caught me by surprise but I managed to back away and block Asmund's blade with my own. Striking upwards, the force of the clashing blades vibrated through my wrist and down my forearm.

My whole body tensed up and I could feel the throbbing pain of my freshly healed stab wound spreading on my side.

I made brief eye contact with Asmund who only smirked at me and pushed him backwards. It took only a few seconds and Asmund swung again.

I blocked.

The sound of metal colliding and the excited chattering and cheering from the crowd drummed in my ears. I ignored them. Focus, just focus.

Asmund roared angrily as he tried to get past my defenses. Sweat dripped from our faces, our breathing had long turned into heavy panting.

I could feel my strength seeping from my body. My ribs ached, my lungs seemed on fire.

_I need to end this...soon._

Asmund seemed to have lost his temper, he lunged forward and began to batter at me as if to pound me into the ground, crying out in savage rage. Obviously he had expected a quick defeat.

He was out for blood now. I blocked, then advanced and backed away, fighting for bare survival.

A sharp, stinging pain shot through my right thigh as Asmund got past my defenses, drawing blood. I stumbled backwards and hissed in pain. The slash burned like fire but there was something else... a dull numbness spread from the wound through my leg, making it hard to stay on my feet.

_Oh that bastard..._

Asmund laughed and closed in on me again, firmly holding his sword over his shoulder. He slashed down, aiming for my head but I countered, bringing up the last of my strength, I raised my sword high. My blow offset Asmund's and the tip of my sword sliced across his face.

Asmund screamed out in pain and clutched at his face. This was my chance.

Biting back my own pain, I moved in close and impeded Asmund's sword arm, raising my own blade for the final strike.

"No! Please! He's my only son!" Agatha, still holding his cloak, cried out in desperation.

I hesitated. Asmund's eyes darted from my blade to my face in deadly terror, his breath coming in short gasps. He was a friend once...

  
My mind was racing for a moment too long. Before I could react, Asmund headbutted me.

I stumbled backwards as Asmund threw himself on me, knocking me to the ground and pinning me beneath his weight. He gripped my blade hand, twisting it back until something tore inside my wrist. I gasped at the sudden sharp pain and let go of my sword. As it slipped from my trembling fingers, I felt the feeling of panic rise in my guts.

Asmund didn't look frightened now. He was grinning. "Never let yourself get distracted, or it will get you killed." he snarled and rose his blade.

Adrenalin rushed through my veins as I saw myself on the verge of death, all I could hear was a ringing sound in my ears and a faint desperate woman's cry in the distance. My hands felt around the pebbly ground, desperately searching for my sword but instead of the blade I got hold of something else.

With the sheer will to survive I managed to prop myself up enough to swing my stone holding fist at Asmund. He toppled over, blood draining from his temple and cried out in agony. I knew what I had to do now.

In the rush of the moment I gripped my sword again and switched our positions. Now it was me towering over Asmund, blade to his neck. He gave a desperate whimper.

"The traitor always dies, Asmund. May the gods forgive you." my voice was hoarse and my head pulsated violently.

Locking my dark eyes with his light ones I let my blade, straight and true, slice through his throat. A fountain of blood gushed out of his severed neck while Asmund's trembling body went limp beneath me as he left this world with a pitiful, gurgling sound.

_It's over, it's done. _

The blade slipped from my hand and I let myself fall to the ground next to Asmund's lifeless body. Exhaustion swept over me in heavy waves, my whole body ached and my head pounded violently. I felt like in a daze, there were distant voices, crying and cheering and the sound of heavy footsteps. I couldn't move, I could hardly breathe. The constant blood loss from my wound showing its effects, I felt consciousness slipping away. Something red flashed before my eyes and I thought I felt something warm touch my face before my world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Uurrgh..." groaning in pain I opened my eyes and blinked several times to adjust to the light. Looking around I realized I was in my bedroom, a fire crackled in the fireplace enlightening the room in soft orange shades. It was already dark outside. _How long was I out?_

I couldn't think any further as I found myself suddenly choking on a flowing red mane. "You're awake!"

"I'm awake... and I can't breathe." my voice sounded weaker than I intended and Lilly backed away slightly, freeing my face of her hair. Her eyes were moist but she was smiling down at me.

"How long did I sleep?" I tried to sit up but a throbbing pain in my head stopped me.

"Don't move too much. You've lost a lot of blood and it seems that the blade was poisoned." she knitted her brows and looked down at me with concern.

"Speed stinger venom." _I should've known Asmund wouldn't play fair, not that it matters now. It's over._

Lilly tilted her head and I took her hand in mine. "I felt it, my leg became numb the moment the blade sliced my flesh."

"What a bastard!" she exclaimed.

"Now that's not the finest words for a young lady." She punched my upper arm lightly and I chuckled. "You wouldn't hurt an injured man, now would you?"

"Only if he's annoying..." she mocked.

"Oh, I fear you will hardly find a chief that proves to be more annoying, my dear." A raspy female voice drew to my ear as the door opened and closed.

An elder woman with long white hair, braided up to a bun at the back of her head and light blue eyes, stepped up to me. She was wearing a long sleeved white tunic and a dark brown overdress, a belt with several small brown leather bags tied around her waist. Bending over me, she put a silver cup to my lips. Its content smelled disgusting and I wrinkled my nose.

"Nanna." I muttered and raised an eyebrow. "Is this how you speak of your chief?"

The elder chuckled, her eyes glimmered in the firelight. "It's the way I talk with every foolish boy who constantly attempts to get himself killed. Now drink, it will help the healing."

"I'm not a boy..." I grumbled but she only pressed the cup tighter to my lips.

"Yes, you are. I got you out of your mother with my own hands and since that day I had to safe your life more often then I wished. So, drink."

Sighing in defeat, I swallowed the bitter drink and grimaced. "That's disgusting."

"Oh, don't make a fuss." she chuckled again and brought her attention to Lilly, who looked at the healer with wide eyes. "Now look at you, you look exactly like your mother. I brought you to this world too, little lady. A tragic day but look how you've grown." Nanna eyed Lilly up and down who seemingly had lost her speech. "Let me see your hands."

Lilly reached her hands out and Nanna took them in her own, studying them intently. "Hmm, I see. You have a healer's hands. If you want, I will show you what is necessary."

"You think I could learn?" Lilly's eyes showed an excited sparkle and Nanna nodded. "Yes, I am sure about that. I can show you how to heal wounds on the outside and fight the terrors on the inside." she paused and raised an eyebrow at me. "Well that means, if our chief approves that I'll take you as my apprentice?"

Raising my hands, I sighed. "If you wish."

"Thanks brother." Lilly hugged me and I winced in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she muttered and got up smiling. "I have to tell Hiccup, may I?"

I pointed to the door. "As you wish, sister."

Her smile grew even wider as she spurted out of the room, her long red hair flying behind her.

Nanna got up from the edge of my bed and clicked her tongue. "Ah, the sweetness of young love. Let's hope the gods smile upon them." She sighed and her next words made me frown.

"Young lovers are always doomed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let's see what awaits Viggo, Lilly, Hiccup and the others in the future. Hopefully some peaceful time. :) 
> 
> So, thoughts?


	52. Chapter 51 - First Training

**Lilly's POV**

When I woke up this morning, the other side of my bed was cold. I stretched out my fingers, seeking Hope's warm and tiny body but found only the soft furs covering the bed. _Where is she?_

I propped myself up on one elbow and looked around the room. The sun was just about to rise, enlightening the room just enough to make out the frames of furniture and the big sleeping form of Shadow beside my bed. I swung my legs off the bed and nudged Shadow's side. She gave a sleepy growl, not willing to open her eyes.

_"Shadow! Wake up you sleepy dragon! Hope is gone!" _

_"What?" _

Finally she opened her eyes, ears perked up, she looked around frantically for her hatchling.

"_The door - it's open! She must have sneaked out." _Not caring to put on my boots I slipped out of my bed and ran down the corridor to find that cheeky dragon. Shadow followed close behind.

_"Where could she be?"_

The sudden sound of a woman's high pitched scream and the clattering of metal against stone made me stop dead in my tracks.

_Oh please not again..._

I spurted down the staircase, through the hallway till I finally reached the kitchen. The destruction that awaited me there made me gasp. Pots and pans lay scattered around the floor, the air dusted with flour and in the middle of our food supplies sat Hope, licking her snout and a content expression on her face.

_"Oh, Hope! You naughty little reptile!" _I scolded when I felt a finger poke my chest. Ida, our head servant, was standing only inches apart from me, her eyes filled with fury.

"I have enough! No dragons in _my_ kitchen! Not again! Your father would have never tolerated such a thing!"

"But our father is not chief anymore. I am."

I turned my head to find Viggo holding on to the doorframe for support, his leg and wrist still bandaged. "I am sure Lilly will take care that the little dragon will stay away from your kitchen in the future, am I right sister?" He tried to keep a stern expression but I could see the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in amusement.

Ida stepped back and crossed her arms. "Thats what I hope, Sir. Otherwise I'll quit!"

"I assure you there will be no need to take such drastic measures, Ida. Lilly, will you please take your dragon and come with me?" he said, hardly able to suppress a chuckle now.

Ida sighed in defeat and raised her hands up high. "Fine!"

Shadow picked the little mischief-maker up by her neck and together we left the kitchen.

Viggo was still limping and held onto my shoulder for support.

It's been a week now since his fight with Asmund and a lot had changed in the meantime. Stoick and the others were determined to help us clean the town from the dragon remains and we started to rebuild the dragon friendly constructions again. The Berkians would stay with us until everything was done. That means, everyone but Gobber who was sent back to Berk by Stoick to make sure everything was alright and to represent him in the time of his absence.

"How do you feel little flower?" Viggo studied my face with concern.

"I'm okay. Didn't have a nightmare last night. Nanna's herbs are helping." I tried to keep my face void from emotion. The truth was, the herbs did help me to sleep but I still felt very anxious throughout the day. Every now and then a cold shiver would run down my spine and I felt like I would suffocate. The first days back home were the worst, everytime I left the house, I got the feeling that someone was following me and I would start to panic. Nanna however was an angel, she always seemed to know what I need. So she would let me get distracted by cutting herbs and show me how to produce medical ointments. The work was like a therapy to me.

Viggo stopped and took my chin in his hand to make me look at him. "That's not the truth. You're my sister, you can't hide such things from me. I can see it." he looked into my eyes with such intensity that I had to gulp down a lump building in my throat.

"What do you see, brother?" I whispered.

His eyes saddened and he dropped his hand. "Your eyes...you no longer walk on air. I'll never forgive him that."

"Do you think he will find me here? You said Asmund was working for him." I shuddered with dread at the thought of Drago.

"He better doesn't dare to show up. But I will make sure to reinforce our defense system and it would really help me sleep if I knew that you're able to defend yourself."

"Will you show me how?" I said as we reached the main hallway.

He sighed. "I fear that I'm not in the condition to train with you yet, my love."

"But I could do it."

Lifting my gaze I saw Hiccup coming down the staircase together with Toothless. He smiled at me and my heart skipped a beat.

Viggo let his gaze wander from my face to Hiccup's and raised his eyebrows slightly. "I have to admit this is not a horrid idea, dear Hiccup." he mused.

Hiccup glanced at me expectantly and scratched the back of his head as he stopped in front of us. "If you want me to of course."

"I would love to."

Hiccup's smile grew even wider and I could literally feel Viggo roll his eyes beside me.

Shadow appeared behind my back and dropped Hope in front of Toothless' feet. She was still covered with flour and gave a little squeak when Toothless started licking her all over.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and chuckled "The kitchen again?"

"Yeah, the kitchen." I joined in his laughter.

  
**Hiccup's POV**

As I walked down the streets to the healer's hut to get Lilly for her first training lesson I let my thoughts wander. It was still hard for me to come on terms with what had happened, the whole Drago kidnapped Lilly to use her somehow in his dragon army and killed her brother and grandfather thing just seemed so surreal to me. How could someone be actually this crazy? There had to be a way to change his mind, if a whole island of dragon hunters is capable of changing to a dragon friendly community why should it not be possible to convince this man somehow? I had to come up with something, I wanted Lilly and our dragons to be safe more than anything in this world.

Lilly.

Heat crept up my neck as the vivid picture of what happened a few days ago rushed back into my mind. _What if Viggo hadn't walked in on us, maybe we...oh Thor what am I thinking, stop it Hiccup! Such thoughts are not going to help her..._

Finally I reached the small wooden hut of the healer at the edge of the forest. A large herbal garden was arranged in front of the hut, the spicy smell of the different plants filled the surrounding air. It was a pleasant smell and I inhaled deeply as I approached the wooden door and raised my hand to knock only to realize the door was already open. Carefully I peeked inside the hut and for a moment I found myself struck by the sight of Lilly. She was sitting at a small table and grinding herbs in a mortar till they became fine dust. She bit her lower lip in concentration, her eyebrows slightly knitted and in the incoming sunlight through the open window her hair all-but glittered. I couldn't bring myself to enter the hut just then, I'd rather gaze at her for a little longer. But it seemed someone else noticed me because a raspy woman's voice startled me.

"Why do you lurk in the doorway, boy? Come in."

Lilly stopped grinding the herbs and looked at me in surprise. Heat rushed to my cheeks and stepped into the hut, feeling exposed for watching her. Scratching the back of my neck I glanced to the elder woman who was stirring in a small vessel above the fireplace and stammered. "I just...uh...Lilly...uh...Viggo, he told me to get you for your first fight training lesson."

The elder woman chuckled under her breath and put aside the vessel from the flames. Wiping up her hands in her apron, she slowly approached me. She came close, too close for my taste and I started to feel uneasy under her intense gaze. "Uhm..uh...can I...can I help you?"

"Hold still, boy." She took my face into one of her hands and turned it this way then the other, studying it thoroughly before she let her eyes wander down my body. She clicked her tongue when they rested on my prosthetic, but didn't give any comment. After one last look into my eyes she let go off my face. I rubbed my cheek, feeling utterly confused.

The woman turned to Lilly. "I see why you like him."

_What? _

Lilly turned her face away, trying to hide her light pink cheeks. "Nanna, please." she muttered, looking absolutely adorable and the elder chuckled before she turned to look at me again.

"What you're still here? Get out you two, don't let our chief wait! It's me who has to deal with his complaining otherwise." With that she shooed us out of her hut.

As soon as we were outside I let out a deep breath. "Now that was weird."

Lilly laughed and took my hand in hers. "That's Nanna." A grin played on my lips and Lilly tilted her head in confusion. "What are you grinning at?"

"Nanna thinks I'm attractive." I winked at her only to receive a punch to my chest. "Ouch, now that hurt." I brought my hands to my heart and faked a hurt face.

Lilly shook her head and laughed again. "You're such a dork, Hiccup."

"Yeah, maybe - but I did it again." Now it was my turn to laugh at her confused face.

"Did what?"

"I made you laugh again." Smiling, I interlaced our fingers as we made our way back to Viggo's house.

Soon enough we were standing on the soft grass at the backside of the house, wooden sword in hand and ready to begin.

  
Viggo was standing a few feet away with crossed arms and watched Lilly's every move to give her instructions.

"First I want you to learn how to block and keep your defenses." Viggo nodded in my direction and I started to advance towards Lilly, bringing my sword in contact with hers. We moved on for a little while, but Lilly was too hesitant, I could clearly see that she felt uncomfortable with a blade in hand.

Viggo shook his head. "It's not working this way. Lilly, you need more spirit to fight!" he paused when my father walked up to him to discuss something. Viggo nodded and turned back to us. "Well enough for today, we will try again tomorrow." With that he brought his attention back to my dad. But I would not give up so easily.

"Wait, I've got an idea." I said, "Lilly, I'm Drago."

"What?" her eyes widened and she stepped back but I continued nevertheless.

"You heard me, I'm Drago and I'm here to take all your dragons..."

"No."

"Oh yes, and the little Night Fury, I'll take her too."

"No you won't." her eyes lit up with anger. That's what I wanted to see, just a little more.

"I've come to kill your friends and your brother."

"NO!"

Lilly was outraged now and she lunged forward, bringing up the wooden sword. She battered at me with blind rage but was careless with her defenses and it didn't take long for me to knock her to the ground, pinning her with my weight and wooden blade to her neck. She was squirming beneath me and panting out her rage.

"Well, you've got the spirit now let's work on your defenses." I said softly and she stopped squirming to look into my eyes. Only then did I realize the position we were in and felt heat rise to my cheeks.

Lilly's hair was splayed out on the soft grass, her cheeks looked rosy and her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Overwhelmed by my feelings, I let the wooden sword slip from my hands and cupped Lilly's face instead. I could see her eyes widen before they fluttered close when I brought my lips to hers. She whimpered softly and clutched to my tunic, bringing me closer to her. I felt like I would drown in her, though I wouldn't mind at all to die this way.

"Oh by Thor's hammer! Can I not turn my back on you for one second?!"

A large hand grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and I yelped when I was yanked upwards, coming face to face with a grim looking Viggo. Lilly came to her feet quickly and brushed the grass from her clothes, avoiding to look at Viggo who was still glaring at me. _There we go again, Viggo the moment killer...fantastic. _

I wanted to say something but my mind came up blank. Viggo was making me nervous, he may be wounded but he still looked like he could easily beat me up, but he wouldn't do that or would he? We're friends now after all.

It was Lilly who broke the awkward silence first. "It's been a long day and I'm tired. Dear brother, mind playing a round of Maces and Talons with me till it's time for dinner?" She held out her arm for him and eventually he turned his gaze from me to Lilly and his features softened almost instantly.

Lilly looked back at me and smiled as she walked back to the house with her brother and I let out a deep breath I wasn't aware I'm holding. _Oh by the gods, what have I gotten myself into. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Staring at the dark ceiling I lay in my bed unable to find some sleep. My mind was racing around Lilly, around my mother who came back into my life and around my plan I had to come up with to get us rid of Drago. Why won't my mind shut up?

I tossed and turned and buried my face into the furs, groaning in frustration when I heard the door being opened with a faint squeak. Instantly I sat up straight, my guard up hearing light footsteps coming closer.

I bent down to pick up Inferno from the floor when I saw her, standing at the edge of my bed.

"What the...Lilly?" I tried to keep calm but my heart pounded so loud in my chest, I was almost certain she could hear it.

"Hiccup..." she bent down to me and my breathing hitched. "Hiccup, I need your help."

Only then did I realize she was crying and the sudden feeling of guilt swept over me. What was I even thinking?

"Hey, it's alright. What's wrong?" I got up and attempted to pull her into my arms but she backed away.

"It's Hope, I can't find her anywhere."

Toothless perked his ears up at the sound of his babies name and gave a worried purr. "Don't worry, she can't be far. We'll find her."

Taking Lilly's hand in mine we sneaked into the hallway and Toothless followed us close behind.


	53. Chapter 52 - Discoveries

**Lilly's POV**

"How could she just sneak away again?" Hiccup's voice echoed through the dimly lit hallway as we made our way to the staircase.

"Shh, be quiet we don't need to wake up the entire house." I spoke in a hushed tone and turned to Hiccup who followed me just wearing his tunic and pants and Toothless following on his heels.

"Sorry" he whispered now and moved closer to me, "just sayin', shouldn't she be with Shadow?"

I sighed and raised my arms in annoyance "We were asleep! I start to believe that this cheeky dragon just waits till our eyes are closed and off she goes..."

I could hear Toothless chuckle behind us and turned to glare at him. _"You think that's funny!?"_

The black dragon gave me a gummy smile and I could hear his amused voice in my head. _"Hope's a baby dragon, she listens to no one. All she has in mind is to play and eat. Just like me when I was little."_

_"Are you not worried? Shadow is going crazy!"_ I scolded Toothless.

_"Of course she is, she's a mother, but what harm could Hope possibly do?" _

I came abruptly to a halt, causing Hiccup to almost knock me down and turned to Toothless giving him a stern look with arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. After a few seconds of that look Toothless sighed in realization. _"Right... I'll go and help Shadow, you look for her with Hiccup."_

_"Deal!" _With that Toothless rushed down the stairs, leaving me and a puzzled looking Hiccup behind.

"What were you talking about?" Hiccup raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Rolling my eyes, I gestured to the direction where Toothless disappeared just a second ago and groaned. "He's not worried about Hope at all, he even thinks that it's funny."

Hiccup's lips curled upwards and he chuckled under his breath. "To be honest, it is Lilly."

_What? Is he serious? She's a baby, Thor knows what could happen to her!_

Putting my arms on my hips I glared at the auburn Viking and he immediately raised his arms in defense, his lips still held the hint of a grin though.

"Come on Lilly, she's just a little dragon. Surely she can't cause that much trouble."

"What if something happened to her?" I said unconvinced, at least the people on this island were just at the beginning of being dragon friendly. What if somebody hurt her?

Hiccup took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, I'm sure Hope is somewhere around the house." Mesmerized by the kindness in his eyes I gave a small nod and together we made our way downstairs, looking into every room on our way for the little night fury but remained unsuccessful.

After a while we stopped at Viggo's office and the sight of the perfect mess that awaited us there caused me to gasp. The board of Maces and Talons that usually rested on the dark wooden desk lay on the floor, the figurines were scattered around the room but what was even worse was the huge amount of parchments flying around in the air, spreading across the office. I could see that some of them were even nibbled off or slightly burnt. The little troublemaker however, was nowhere to be found.

"Oh for the love of Thor!" Hiccup breathed out, running his hand through his hair.

I raised my hand to my forehead and let out a frustrated sigh. "Viggo is going to kill me! He had just finished sorting the documents. Oh when I get my hands on you, you little..."

_"Lilly, did you find her?"_ Shadow's voice resounded in my head.

_"No but I've found the mess she made!"_ I retorted, still upset.

_"We didn't find her either. Do you think she sneaked out of the house?" _Toothless replied, his voice held a worried tone now.

_"Well I fear she has..." _I replied, truly worried now and turned to Hiccup "Hiccup, maybe Hope has left the house..."

He shook his head in disbelief. "But how could she do that? She can't open the door."

"I don't know Hiccup, but we must go and look for her. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her." I clutched my arms tightly around my body in an attempt to calm myself. _If this is how a mother feels when her child is not with her, then I'm not sure if I could ever handle it._

Hiccup nodded and soon enough we had passed the main door and stepped out into the darkness. It was a clear and cold night, with a crispiness in the air that hinted the end of summer. I shivered from the sudden sensation given I was just wearing my nightgown and hugged myself again, rubbing my upper arms to warm up. Hiccup beside me wasn't much better. "Let's better find her quickly." he grumbled as we walked along the path leading to the town square. Shadow and Toothless followed close by, sniffing around in attempt to catch Hope's scent.

The streets were empty, almost everyone seemed to be fast asleep. Only the great hall was still enlightened, people would gather there to sing and drink till late at night if they wished. As we passed the building the sound of a baritone voice drew to my ear, singing a ballad. I couldn't make out the words but found myself intrigued by the melody.

  
For a moment I was tempted to have a look and see what the people there were up to at this late hour, but finding Hope had first priority. The feeling of Hiccup's arms around my waist brought me back from my thoughts and I gazed up at him.

  
"Maybe we can keep each other warm." he smiled and I snuggled closer, wrapping my arm around him and relishing the warmth that spread from his body. "Oh Thor, why didn't I put on my shoe? My toes are freezing." Hiccup complained and I couldn't help but giggle a little and stopped to wiggle my own bare feet in front of him. Hiccup chuckled and was about to say something when he was interrupted by Toothless and Shadow perking their ears up.

_"What is it?" _I asked, hope rising in my chest to find the little dragon.

_"I hear something, listen!" _Toothless replied.

Listening closely I could hear a young male voice not far away as well as a girlish giggle and ... a dragon's faint squeak.

_That's Hope! _

Instantly I wriggled out of Hiccup's arms and ran off into the direction the voices came from.

"Lilly, wait!"

I could feel Toothless and Shadow running at my sides and Hiccup followed on our heels. _I just hope she is alright and no one is hurting her. _My thoughts were racing as I spurted down the street, not feeling the cold at all now. Panting heavily I crossed around a corner and stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes grew wide and my jaw literally dropped as I came to see...

"Tuffnut?!" Hiccup came to a halt beside me, his eyes wide in bewilderment.

I couldn't believe it, right before our eyes was Tuffnut, holding little Hope in his lap while a brown haired girl fed her fish. Tuffnut startled and turned around, but as soon as he recognized us he let out a sigh of relief. "Phew...hey, Hiccup, Lilly. You haven't seen my sis anywhere around, right?" he glanced behind us before he turned to look at Hiccup and me, standing there and freezing in the cold night air. Tuffnut frowned and exclaimed "Wait a minute, what are you up to? No don't tell me! I know, you're having a pajama party, what I don't know is why you're having it outside... unless you're having a freezing competition...hey why didn't you invite us?!"

Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh Thor, no Tuffnut, we're not having a party or..."

"I was worried sick, Tuffnut! We were looking for Hope the whole time! What is she doing here with you!?" my chest was rising and falling rapidly and my voice sounded high pitched from anger as I walked up to the blonde Viking pointing my finger at Hope.

The tiny dragon's eyes widened as she saw her parents approaching her. Shadow growled at Tuffnut and picked her hatchling up by the neck.

Tuffnut laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck "Well, that's an interesting story..."

"It's my fault." the brown haired girl replied and I startled a little. I had completely forgotten Tuffnut was not alone. "I wanted to see the baby dragon, it's just so cute. And Tuffnut said he could bring her here..."

"Seriously Tuff? You kidnapped a baby dragon? Why didn't you just ask?" Hiccup groaned in annoyance.

"I didn't want him to, but I know it wasn't right to just take the dragon...I just couldn't walk up to you and ask..." the girl was on the verge of tears and suddenly it hit me. _Of course how could I forget?_

"Martha?" I whispered. The girl looked up and nodded slightly. Now I was truly confused. "Why couldn't you just talk to me?"

Martha bit her quivering lip, tears running down her face. "B-because of what I did..." I clenched my fists in foreboding what was to come but whispered in a dry voice: "What did you do?"

Hiding her face in her hands, Martha was crying freely now. "I'm so sorry..." she sobbed "I didn't want to, b-but he threatened me to kill m-my parents...I...I cut off your hair for Asmund...to lure your brother into the trap..."

_What? _My whole world was spinning and I started to shake violently, Viggo never mentioned Martha took part in this too. Well he didn't tell me that much at all. I could hear Tuffnut and Hiccup inhale sharply but was unable to make out what they were saying, my ears were ringing, the feeling of burning anger and betrayal was overwhelming. _She helped the attempted murder of my brother. __I though_t _we were friends. _I tried to calm down, to concentrate on my breathing but when Martha reached out and touched my hand, it brought me over the edge.

**Hiccup's POV**

I watched in shock as Lilly slapped Martha hard across the face before she broke down and clutched her arms around her stomach, shaking violently. _Oh by the love of Thor, why did Martha have to burst out with such an information?! _Said brown haired girl clutched her cheek and muttered between sobs "I deserved that." Quickly I rushed to Lilly's side and picked her up.

"Shh it's ok, Lilly. I'll bring you back."

Toothless walked up to our side and gave a worried purr. He must have said something to Lilly for I felt her nod slightly against my shoulder. I turned to leave when another thought came to my mind.

"Tuffnut, what happened to Viggo's office?"

His eyes widened. "Ooh, well...I had to keep Hope somewhere till I got the fish..."

I groaned in frustration. "Oh Thor...we'll talk about that tomorrow!"

Slowly we made our way back to Viggo's house, but not before Shadow slapped Tuffnut across his head with her tail fin, knocking his helmet down. "Ouch!" _Well_ _done Shadow, he deserved it. _I grinned to myself.

My toes felt like ice blocks when we finally stepped inside the house again and sensing Lilly's hot breath against the crook of my neck caused me to tremble lightly. For a brief moment I stood in the middle of the hallway, not sure what to do now when Lilly's weak voice broke the silence. "Put me down, Hiccup. We need to clean up Viggo's office before he sees it like this."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's get it done." I sighed and couldn't suppress a yawn. By Thor, I was tired. Tired and cold. Following Lilly into the room I started to pile fresh logs into the fireplace while Toohless, Shadow and Hope cuddled up behind my back. "Give me a small flame bud." I turned to my dragon friend as he lit the fire. "Thanks bud."

I gave a content sigh as I felt the warmth spreading through my body again. A rustling sound brought my attention back to Lilly who was already busy gathering the scattered parchments from the floor. I got up to help her, deciding to go for the Maces and Talons game board first. Picking up the game board I noticed a strange rattling sound coming from the inside. _Maybe it is broken? _Turning the board upside down to examine it further I heard the sound again, but couldn't find any broken pieces. _It's almost like something is inside. _I shook it lighlty and now I could clearly make out the sound of something slipping around against the wood. Curious, I put the board on the desk and frowned. There has to be an opening somewhere. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice Lilly walking up to me till I felt her hand touch mine. "Are you okay?" she whispered and looked concerned.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. Just listen." I shook the board again. "There's something inside. I wonder how to open it."

Lilly let her gaze wander over the board with knitted brows. "Hmm...I wonder if..." She picked up one of the figurines and placed it into a barely visible hollow on the board but nothing happened. We fiddled around for a little while when finally the first bottom came loose. I lifted it carefully and gasped as my eyes fell on the hidden object. Lilly picked the small item up and held it against the light, causing the crystal blue material in the center to sparkle. "What's this thing?" she asked quietly.

"A dragon eye lens." I whispered in awe. I was not thinking about the dragon eye since the day I met Lilly but now everything came rushing back into my mind. Lilly tilted her head.

"What's a dragon eye?"

I chuckled lightly and took the lens from her hand. "Well it's basically the thing your brother and I were fighting about before I met you. It provides all kind of information on different dragons and maps to different islands. We learned a lot from it."

"And where is the dragon eye now?"

I shrugged and sighed. "I guess Viggo has it somewhere, he took it from me a while ago." I clenched my jaw at the memory. _Fortunate enough Viggo doesn't need it to hunt dragons anymore._

"We have to ask him then." Lilly mused "Why do you think this lens was hidden?"

"I have no idea." I admitted and frowned as I glanced inside the game board again, picking out a small note.

_Never to use again._   
_R.G._

_Huh...strange. I need to know what's on this lens. _The feeling of Lilly's hand touching mine startled me from my thoughts. She smiled sweetly and pointed to the three black dragons who were already fast asleep snuggled together in front of the fireplace.

"You want to warm up?" she whispered.

The sleeping dragons looked so peaceful and I felt exhaustion taking over me. "Sure." I yawned again as I leaned back against Toothless and wrapped my arms around Lilly who rested her head on my chest. The dragon eye can wait until tomorrow.

"I'm sorry about Martha." I whispered while I let my fingers run through her soft curls. I loved her hair.

"Let's not talk about it now...please." she mumbled and snuggled closer, brushing the crook of my neck with her nose, causing a tingling sensation to spread on my skin.

I buried my nose in her hair, inhaling her beguiling scent. My heartbeat sped up and I an undeniable urge to kiss her overcame me. "Lilly?" I whispered but got no response. Her breathing was even and I shifted a little to see she that she had fallen asleep. Letting my gaze wander to the dancing flames I felt my own eyelids growing heavier as I slowly drifted into sleep.

"Now this explanation is going to be interesting."

_Huh, what? _I reluctantly opened my eyes and found myself blinded by the bright sunlight flooding into the room. I felt Lilly stir in my arms and looking up I saw Viggo, leaning against his desk with crossed arms and eyebrows raised. The Maces and Talons figurines and serveral parchments were still scattered around the floor. This situation must look suspicious to him.

"Uhm...hey Viggo..." I stammered.


	54. Chapter 53 - Old romance, new romance and a dragon eye

**Lilly's POV**

Warmth. Blissful warmth enveloped my whole body like a cocoon and I let out a small sigh of content. I wish I could extend the night just so I could stay close to Hiccup longer, safe in his embrace, warm and together. With his arms wrapped right around me I could almost believe that there was nothing out there to fear, that all there was is sunshine, beautiful flowers and kind people - friends to be. _No nightmares haunted me this night, it's because of him. _I thought and smiled, his familiar scent of forest leaves and leather filled my nose and made me lightheaded.

"It's not what you're thinking..."

_Huh? What are you talking about Hiccup, I'm not thinking anything. No, don't move please, just five more minutes..._

Hiccup stirred beneath me but I would not let him get up that easily and give up my bubble of coziness.

"Tell me, dear Hiccup, what do I think?"

_Viggo? _I reluctantly opened one eye and peeked up to see my brother leaning against his desk with crossed arms. _Oh gods, Viggo! _

My sleepy mood was gone in an instant and I shot up causing Hope to shriek in alarm. "Viggo...documents...not cleaned up...Hope...was Tuffnut...fell asleep..." I waved my arms around in an attempt to explain everything, but only incoherent words left my mouth.

Hiccup startled and Viggo chuckled at my outburst, raising his eyebrows even higher and shaking his head. "I fear, I didn't catch that my dear."

I pushed myself off of Hiccup and walked over to Viggo, picking up several parchments in the process and put them back onto the desk. "Hope caused this mess brother, I'm sorry." I apologized and bit my lower lip in anticipation, awaiting my brother's rant.

But Viggo only sighed and brought his bandaged hand in front of his eyes while his other hand rested on the wooden desk behind him. "Do you mind to explain how your little dragon ended up destroying my office?"

"It was not her fault, it was Tuffnut. He kidnapped Hope." Hiccup spoke up and walked to my side.

"Kidnapped?" Viggo lowered his hand again, his voice sounded skeptical.

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, he kidnapped her to show her to Martha...you never told me about Martha!"

"Martha..?" Viggo frowned but couldn't say anything more because Hiccup spoke up again.

"And before he went to see Martha, he locked Hope up in your office..."

"Where she caused this mess!" I gestured around the room and Hiccup nodded. "Right and Lilly and I went looking for her..."

"And then we wanted to clean everything up, but it was cold so we lit up a fire and oooh we found this...lens thing...Hiccup show him!" I tugged at Hiccup's sleeve in excitement as he rummaged in the pockets of his pants, fishing out the dragon eye lens and held it up in front of Viggo's eyes.

"We need the dragon eye Viggo, to see what's on this lens." Hiccup's eyes lit up with enthusiasm as my brother took the lens from his hand and let the mysterious object slide through his fingers. He let his gaze wander from me to Hiccup with raised eyebrows before resting his eyes on the dragon eye lens.

"Where did you find that?" he muttered absentmindedly, his eyes never leaving the object.

Hiccup scratched the back of his head "Well, it was hidden in your Maces and Talons board."  
Viggo raised his head and looked at Hiccup with narrowed eyes. 

"Snooping around in other person's belongings really is a bad habit of yours, dear Hiccup."

"Did you know about this?" I intervened and pointed to the lens. Viggo turned to me and shook his head. 

"I have to admit, I didn't. All these years a dragon eye lens was literally in front of my nose and I had no idea. I wonder who hid it there." he mused, eying the lens intently.

"There was a note." Hiccup reached into his pocket once more and handed the small parchment to Viggo and I frowned as I saw his expression harden. 

"What is it, brother?"

"Perhaps it would be wise to listen to this note and forget about the lens." his voice was low as he looked up at Hiccup and me.

"What? You can't be serious about that! We need to know what's on this lens! Just because your brother..." Hiccup began but was interrupted by Viggo.

"This note is not from Ryker. No, my brother had other areas of interest, believe me. R.G. stands for Ragnar Grimborn, our father and when he came to the decision that it's not safe to use that lens than we shouldn't test our fate. There hardly came anything good from him." he clenched his jaw and the bitterness in his voice tugged at my heart. I placed my hand on his, that was still resting on the desk and waited till he locked his eyes with mine before I spoke. 

"But what if there's something else on the lens, something that could help us defeating..." I gulped, it was still hard for me to say his name "...him." 

Viggo instantly knew who I was talking about and his features softened as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. 

"Alright, I assume it won't do any harm to have a look." he sighed and Hiccup cheered. "But..." He continued and Hiccup's smile dropped again as my brother looked at him with raised eyebrows "You still didn't explain why you stayed in my office the whole night - together."

"It was late and we were so exhausted that we fell asleep in front of the fire with our dragons." I smiled at my brother but he didn't break his gaze with Hiccup who shifted from one foot to the other. 

"Y-eah that's right, we were sleeping, just sleeping together...but not like that...just...well together as beside each other..." he stammered and I tilted my head in confusion. _  
_

_Yes, we were sleeping here together, where's the big deal? Why is he constantly acting so strange around my brother? _

"Who was sleeping together?" A voice came from the office door and I turned my head to see Snotlout walking into the room, rubbing his eyes but as soon as he lifted his gaze his mouth formed a visible O before he tugged his lips upwards into a big grin.

"It's not what you're thinking Snotlout!" Hiccup cried out and blushed. _  
_

_He said it again, why is he saying it again? What are they thinking?_

"What's going on down here?" _A_nother voice echoed through the hallway and a few seconds later, Stoick appeared -followed by Valka. 

"Hiccup and Lilly spent the night together." Snotlout snickered and Stoick's eyes widened as he stared first at Hiccup, then at me. However he regained his composure rather quickly and chuckled, pulling Valka near. "Ohoho I think I hear wedding songs playing already, what do you say Val?"

"What? Dad, please!" Hiccup turned an even deeper shade of red but Stoick was relentless. 

"Don't be so shy son, I couldn't keep my hands off your mother too when I was your age."

"Oh by the love of Thor, dad please...stop it!" Hiccup buried his face in his hands while I felt Viggo's grip on my shoulder tighten. 

"Stoick, stop. You're humiliating our son." Valka said and gave me a gentle smile while Stoick was still laughing.

"Why is Hiccup humiliated?" Astrid and the rest of the gang appeared behind Valka and poor Hiccup looked like he wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole. 

"Well Hic-" Snotlout was about to speak up but couldn't finish his sentence as Viggo's voice boomed through the room.

"Enough!" He bellowed, causing everyone to startle. "Enough. There's no need to discuss this further. Now, if all of you would be so kind and leave my office." he continued in a lower voice and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. I tried to move out of his hold but he wouldn't let go. "Will you stay for a moment longer, please?" he whispered only for me to hear and I nodded, sharing one last glance with Hiccup who was still blushing madly as he left the room.

As soon as we were alone, Viggo let go off me and let himself drop into his chair behind the desk. He put the dragon eye lens in front of him and sighed heavily. "Those Berkians are testing my patience like no one else."

I giggled while I stepped up to his side to examine his wounded hand like Nanna showed me. He had a serious tendon injury and knowing that the healing process would take long, Nanna predicted his sword arm would be handicapped for weeks if not months. _He will probably have to learn to fight with his other hand._

_"_Show me your hand, brother." I requested as he leaned back in his chair and stretched out his bandaged hand to me. Carefully I removed the cloth to find it still swollen. I frowned in concern. "Can you stretch out your finger?" I dared to touch his bent pointer finger but let go instantly when I noticed him wince in pain. 

"I'm afraid I can't." he said through gritted teeth and I nodded in understanding. 

"I'll have Nanna mix you a new cooling salve, it should help to ease the pain a little."

"You already learned so much." Viggo mused while I put the bandage back on, but I shook my head. 

"Not nearly enough."

I let go off his hand and stepped back to lean against the desk when Viggo spoke up again, an unreadable expression on his face. "So, what is going on between you and Hiccup?"

  
"I already told you what happened." I replied and crossed my arms in front of my chest. I didn't like where this was going.

"You did and this is not what I mean little flower. Are you in love him?" his voice was softer than I expected and suddenly I felt very vulnerable for being asked such a question and let my arms drop to my sides. 

"I think I am." I whispered and watched Viggo inhale deeply as he got up to tug at my earlobe. 

"Well, you must be with him then." he said, his eyes burning with seriousness.

"So you're not mad?" 

Viggo let out an incredulous huff. "Mad at you? That would never be possible my love. I wish you to be happy and everyone that tries to destroy your happiness will meet my wrath." 

I had to gulp down a building lump in my throat at the sincerity of his words. Not knowing what to say, I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his chest when suddenly a thought crossed my mind. I lifted my head to gaze up at him. "And what about you, Viggo?" 

"What do you mean?" he asked, still holding me close. I pulled back from him. 

"Have you ever loved someone?" I could feel him stiffen but it only lasted for a few seconds. 

"Only once." he sighed and his eyes seemed to drift to a place I couldn't see. 

"What happened?" I whispered and Viggo snapped back to reality. He pushed a lose strand of my hair behind my ear and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. 

"Some things are better left unsaid. No need for you to worry about it, little flower." 

Now that was not the answer I wanted to hear. "But..." 

"No buts, Lilly. Not all romances are meant to last. I couldn't give her what she was looking for, so she left - end of the story." 

A single tear ran down my face at seeing the suppressed grief in his eyes, but he wiped it away with his thumb. 

"Don't cry sweet sister, everything is fine as long as we have each other." He brushed his nose against mine in a playful manner and I nodded, smiling. "Now.." Viggo let go off me and picked up the dragon eye lens once more. "I would suggest you get dressed and get Hiccup to try this one out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This isn't working, you tried it already for a hundred times!" Snotlout complained and leaned back against the wall of our living room with crossed arms while everyone else gathered around Hiccup and Viggo who were fiddling around with the dragon eye for what seemed like hours now.

Whatever we tried, the lens would just not light up. We tried all our dragons different fires, even Fulgur's electricity or combined fires but nothing worked.

"Maybe it's broken." Fishlegs mused but Hiccup shook his head in annoyance. 

"No it's definitely not broken, we just have to figure out which dragon works for this lens. Maybe I would have figured it out by now, if you would just hand the dragon eye over to me, Viggo."

"This artifact belonged to my tribe for centuries, so you can assume that I know what I'm doing dear Hiccup." Viggo retorted rather harshly.

"Well honestly, it seems you don't. I still can't believe you took it away from us, we could have learned so much more by now." Hiccup snapped back.

"I just took what is rightfully mine. Do you really want to bring this up now?" my brother hissed and Hiccup was about to retort again when Stoick interrupted their bickering. 

"Stop it you two, this is getting us nowhere."

Hiccup and Viggo glared at each other and I rolled my eyes at them before taking a closer look at the lens. The crystal in the middle was light blue surrounded by an ornament that looked like waves and stars carved into the wood. I knitted my brows. _I wonder if..._

_"Lilly? Are you somewhere near?"_

I snapped out of my thoughts and raised my head to look around for the voice that reached out to me. I knew that voice. My heart started to race. _I need to sneak out. _

Slowly I stepped back and sneaked out of the living room unnoticed by the others who were once again arguing about the dragon eye.

I spurted down the hallway, out of the house and down the streets to find the source of the voice. _I'm coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think?  
Do you want to know more about Viggo's romance?  
How will the dragon eye lens work?
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	55. Chapter 54 - The lens leads us to...

**Lilly's POV**

I spurted down the streets as fast as my feet could carry me. My heart thumped fast with excitement. It didn't take long till I reached the docks. "Sorry!" I shouted as I almost knocked down a girl carrying a basket full of fish but didn't bother to stop. I ran across the wide gangplank till I reached the edge and without thinking twice I raised my arms above my head and jumped into the dark blue water. _"Jali! I'm here!"_

I felt the water surround my body as I dove under. It was cold. Colder than I expected. I tried to swim forward but I couldn't move, feeling the coldness around me caused my chest to grow tight and the blood to pound in my ears. Images of Drago shoving me into ice cold water flashed through my mind and my vision grew blurry. _I need to get out. _Thrashing around desperately I felt my heart pounding rapidly in my chest as panic took hold of me. The feeling of a hand grabbing my shoulder was too much. I opened my mouth to cry out only to end up swallowing salty water. _Get away from me! Get away! _

Someone pulled me up onto the gangplank and I coughed violently, spitting out water. The person was still holding me and I started to struggle again. _Don't touch me! _

"Are you alright?" It was a female voice.

I blinked several times before I turned my head to see Martha kneeling beside me, the front of her brown dress was soaking wet and the fish she carried before lay scattered all over the place. 

"Martha?" I panted, still shaken from my panic attack. Martha stared at me with wide eyes and kneading her hands nervously. 

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you, b-but you weren't moving and I thought you..."

"It's okay Martha!" I hissed, barely paying her any mind and clenched my fists as I felt desperation rise in my stomach. _I can't swim. Another thing he has taken away from me. _Water had been my element for as long as I could remember and now I couldn't bear the feeling of a little coldness? How pathetic. "I'm sorry." I added quickly, feeling guilty for my harsh words. She just tried to save me.

_"Lilly?" _I sensed Jali's voice in my head once more. He sounded weak. I furrowed my brows in foreboding. _Something is wrong._

_"Jali, where are you? I can't swim." _

_"It's okay Lilly, I'm right here. I just can't swim very fast." _he replied.

I could see a dark blue shadow drifting closer underneath the water and leaned slightly forward when finally Jali emerged from the water. Beside me I could hear Martha shriek at the sudden appearance of the big dragon but I had only eyes for my blue friend. He looked horrible. Several scratches ran across his snout and stepping closer I could see his left wing was torn and slightly bleeding. _  
_

_"Oh Jali, what happened to you?" _I felt tears sting in the corner of my eye as I hugged Jali's neck before I let my fingers trace along the scratches on his face. He gave a sad purr. 

"_My herd was attacked by dragon hunters. I was to only one to get away." _

My cheeks flushed with heat as I felt blind rage soar in my veins, tears running freely now. _Is no one ever safe? _I wanted to scream so bad, to hit something till I shattered it to pieces but I inhaled deeply instead and turned to Martha who stood beside me on shaky legs, still paralyzed by the sight of the big water dragon. 

"Martha, please watch Jali. I need to get help." Her eyes widened even more as she let her gaze wander from Jali to me. "B-but Lilly..."

"It's okay, he's a friend. Come." I beckoned her to come closer and reached out to grab her hand. Slowly I put her hand in mine on Jali's snout and he closed his eyes, showing Martha that he was okay with her touching him. She inhaled deeply as her hand made contact with the smooth scales but relaxed eventually. "See? It's not bad at all." I gave a little smile and Martha nodded. 

"No, it's not bad."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My wet clothes clung to my body as I ran back to our house and I shivered from the cold. It didn't matter though, there were more important things to worry about right now. And I knew only one person who would know how to help my injured friend.

"Valka! Valka!" I cried out on top of my lungs as I stumbled into the living room where everyone still gathered around the dragon eye.

Valka turned around and stared at me bewildered as did everyone else. Obviously they were too occupied with the dragon eye to notice I sneaked away in the first place.

"By the gods, Lilly! Why are you soaking wet?" Viggo exclaimed as he got up and rushed to my side, a concerned look on his face, but I ignored him and ran up to Valka.

"Valka...I...I need your help." I panted. I've been running so fast that I could hardly breathe now.

"What's wrong Lilly?" Valka asked and tugged a wet strand of my hair behind my ear.

"It's Jali...my dragon friend...he's wounded. You know how to heal injured dragons, please help him." I pleaded. Valka shook her head lightly. It was hard for her to comprehend. 

"But how...where?"

"Down at the docks, he's a Scauldron and almost got caught by dragon hunters. I guess they're working for..." my voice cracked at the last words and I clenched my fists hard again as I felt another wave of rage build up in my stomach.

"It's alright, Lilly." Valka put her hands on my shoulders in a reassuring manner and spoke softly. "I'll have a look at his injuries."

_Oh thank Thor! _I sighed in relief and grabbed Valka's arm, urging her to come quickly. _There's no time to lose._

However my plan came abruptly to a halt when I found myself bumping into my brother who stood in the door-frame with crossed arms. "You're not going anywhere in this wet clothes my dear." his voice was soft but it was clear that he wouldn't tolerate any objections.

"But I have to, he's my friend. He needs me." I cried out in frustration. _Does he not understand?_

"And you won't be of any help for your dragon if you end up having a fever because of your stubbornness." Viggo scolded and pointed to Astrid. "Astrid would you please make sure my sister goes straight to her room to change."

"Uh...sure." Astrid got up and walked over to us. I was furious. _Does he think I'm a baby? _

"Are you serious? I need to see Jali!" I cried out again and Viggo took a step forward to cup my face in his hands. 

"You're freezing, Lilly! I'll go with Valka to see your dragon. Jali will be fine, I promise."

Still not convinced I heard Valka speak up: "Your brother is right, Lilly. Get yourself dry and as soon as you've changed you come to see your dragon. I will do my best to help him." 

I rolled my eyes and wriggled out of my brother's grasp. _Well it's true, I am freezing...urgh fine. _"Okay." I sighed and made my way out of the room without looking back again. Astrid followed close by.

"Are you really following me?" I asked as I turned to face her. Astrid only shrugged. 

"I guess your brother gave me an order." 

Groaning in annoyance I turned my attention back to the staircase when I heard another voice coming from downstairs. 

"Hey girls, wait, I'm coming with you."

It was Ruffnut, taking two steps at a time to catch up with us.

Soon enough we reached my room, Ruffnut closed the door behind her and leaned against the wooden door-frame while she let her gaze wander through the room. Astrid sat down at the edge of my bed while I rummaged through a large wooden trunk at the foot of my bed to find some dry clothes.

"So." Astrid began and I raised my head to look at her.

"So?" I asked.

"You spent the night with Hiccup." she stated and I could hear Ruffnut giggle.

"Yes? What's the big deal?" I muttered as I wriggled out of my wet tunic.

"Well, we want details. What did you do?" Ruffnut wiggled her eyebrows.

"We already told you what happened with Hope." I slipped into a new pair of brown leather leggings. _Why do they want to hear it again? It's not that interesting..._

Astrid snorted. "Oh come on Lilly, don't play dumb. We want to know what _really_ happened when you and Hiccup cuddled in front of the fireplace."

"We fell asleep." I answered honestly and put on a dark blue long sleeved tunic along with a dark brown leather armour that Viggo had laid out for me. He said it would be better for me to wear some sort of armour when I learn how to fight. It felt strange.

"Stop kidding us, Lilly! We won't tell Viggo, we promise." Ruffnut almost begged.

I was truly confused. "What do you want to hear?" I questioned as I moved to my dressing table to braid my hair to one big braid that I brought over my left shoulder. "I mean what could we possibly do?"

Astrid and Ruffnut shared a long meaningful glance.

"Oh don't tell me you no nothing about..." Astrid mocked but stopped when she saw my clueless face. "Oh." she inhaled deeply. "Well you may want to sit down for this."

"For what?" I frowned as Ruffnut grabbed me by my arm and dragged me to the bed where she sat down beside me so that I was in the middle.

"Let's have a talk." she cheered.

**Hiccup's POV**

"We need to do something about these dragon hunters." I exclaimed while I handed my mother a bandage to wrap around Jali's wing.

"That's what I tried to do for the last nineteen years, Hiccup. But as long as Drago has power, they will not stop to hunt the poor dragons." mother replied sadly.

"Well we have to defeat him then or talk some sense into this guy." I muttered and looked up when I heard my mother laugh dryly.

"You cannot talk with Drago, son. You've seen how ruthless and cruel he is." her voice sounded concerned.

"But if Lilly managed to change Viggo's mind and the whole tribe of dragon hunters, why shouldn't it be possible to change Drago's mind. If we could only show him that dragons are kind and loyal creatures with Lilly's power to talk to them, then..."

Mom grabbed my chin with her hand and made me look at her. I swallowed thickly at the intensity of her gaze.

"Promise me that you won't bring this up in front of Lilly. She suffered enough already. Drago wants war, son. You wouldn't be the first who tried to reason with him."

I shook my head. "But why would he need Lilly? I don't understand."

"You know who she is, don't you?" mom asked quietly.

"Yeah she told me the tale of the dragon..." I replied, but it still didn't make sense to me.

Mom gave a short nod and continued. "You see, Hiccup, swords, arrows, catapults are all strong weapons but the most powerful weapon is worn in the mind."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll understand in time." Mom spoke softly before she pointed to the path that led down to the docks. "They're coming."

I looked up to see Lilly walking down the street along with Astrid and Ruffnut. The two blonde girls were giggling and Lilly looked...bewildered?   
She was wearing a leather armour over a dark blue tunic and had her long red hair braided to one side. I couldn't help but stare at her, she looked absolutely ravishing with that faint blush on her cheeks. _I wonder what they are talking about..._

Eager to find out I started to get up to join them when I noticed Viggo leaving his place beside Martha, dad and Tuffnut. He stroked over Lilly's hair before he pulled her into a hug. I grumbled under my breath and crossed my arms in front of my chest. _He's constantly getting in my way._

Mom chuckled beside me and I glared at her with furrowed brows. "Don't be jealous Hiccup."

"But how am I supposed to love her with Viggo being constantly around her like a chaperon." I grumbled. "Look how close they are. What if...what if I'm not enough..." My shoulders dropped at that thought and suddenly I felt insecure about my relationship with Lilly.

Feeling my mother's hand on my shoulder I brought my gaze up to meet her eyes. She looked at me with caring eyes as she stroked my cheek with her other hand. "Don't think that way, Hiccup. I've seen what a brave young man you've become, the things you did for Berk, the way you brought peace between dragons and people could not be done by anyone else. You have the soul of a dragon my dear son and who but a dragon could truly love a dragon? And by the way, I've seen the way she looks at you. It's the same look I used to give your father." she squeezed my shoulder lightly and I felt a lump build in my throat at her sincere words.

I startled a little when Viggo and Lilly stepped up to us. "How's Jali?" Lilly questioned and I could swear she blushed again as our eyes met for one brief moment.

Time skip to the night

"Come on bud, let's go." I grabbed a thick fur blanket from my bed and nudged Toothless' side. The lazy lizard yawned as he trotted out of my room, following me down the stairs.

Viggo and dad where currently in the great hall joining a meeting with the council about the building of new defense mechanisms around the island. Dad decided it was time to move back to Berk, he and mom would leave by tomorrow morning and we haven't come to an agreement yet what the gang an me should do. Stay? Fly to the edge? Or to Berk?

_I would rather stay with Lilly but the others may decide as the wish. _I thought as I made my way down to the docks. Viggo left the dragon eye with me so that I could continue to work on it. However I didn't come to a solution for hours now and finally came up with the idea to join Lilly. She insisted to spend the night with Jali at the docks.

It didn't take long and I spotted her sitting ashore the ocean where Jali rested in the shallow water. Lilly sat with her arms wrapped around her knees and seemed to shiver from the cold.

She jumped slightly as I wrapped the fur blanket around her shoulders from behind. "Here. I don't want you to turn into an icicle, milady."

Lilly blushed as she turned to look at me and her lips curled up into a sweet smile. "Thank you." she whispered.

"May I?"

"Oh...sure." she lifted the blanket for me to slip under and I inched close to her before wrapping the fur around us again. Toothless curled himself up a few feet away from us.

Slowly I sneaked my arm around Lilly's waist and pulled her closer to me. She trembled lightly and it was hard to tell if it was still from the cold or maybe...because of me? My heartbeat sped up at this thought and I felt a pleasant tingle in my stomach as Lilly rested her head on my shoulder, her scent fogging my brain.

"How's Jali doing?" my voice sounded husky and I cleared my throat.

"Better." Lilly breathed against my neck causing my skin to tingle. Said dragon raised his head and gave a quiet purr.

I could feel Lilly wrapping her arms around me under the fur blanket when she suddenly got hold of something at my side. Lilly sat up and pulled the object out with furrowed brows. "You brought the dragon eye?" she looked at me questioningly and I nodded. "Have you found a way to make it work?"

"No, I didn't." I sighed and watched as Lilly fiddled around with it.

"Hm..." she frowned and I was about to say something when I noticed her staring straight into Jali's eyes. They were obviously having a conversation about something. 

"What are you doing?" I asked as Lilly got up and walked over to the Scauldron, showing him the ancient object.

The dragon sniffed it curiously and suddenly it hit me. _On the lens are waves and stars...what if..._

I jumped to my feet excitedly. "Lilly, can you ask Jali to raise steam?"

"What?" she looked at me bewildered.

"I want to try something." I walked up to her and took the dragon eye from her hands.

Lilly nodded and soon enough hot steam emerged from Jali's snout. I held the dragon eye into the steam not knowing what would happen. _I hope I don't break it... _

But nothing.

Lilly shook her head. "Hiccup, do you really..." she stopped instantly when we heard a clicking sound coming from the dragon eye. Like something was unlocked inside.

I pulled away from Jali and turned to Toothless. My heart pounded fast with excitement. "Hey bud, would you give us a small flame?" I asked as I knelt down in front of him. Toothless perked his ears up and purred before he opened his mouth to produce a faint plasma blast.

Breathing heavily I waited and waited, seconds felt like an eternity when finally light broke through the lens and a light blue projection was produced.

"It works!" I cried out in joy and beamed at Lilly who had brought her hands in front of her mouth and jumped slightly up and down.

"We need a wall or something to see properly..." she mused.

I looked around and took Lilly's hand in mine. _This will do._ We ran up to a large ship which was docked nearby and I directed the dragon eye at the wooden side of the ship.

"It's a map. Strange, it doesn't look like any other lens I've seen before." I frowned at our discovery and turned to look at Lilly who stood paralyzed in front of the ship. Seeing the blank expression on her face made me worried. "Hey, Lilly. Are you alright?" I whispered and touched her shoulder lightly.

Lilly shook her head and took a step closer to the ship. Slowly she let her fingers trace the lines of the light blue map up to the symbol of a bright sun with the body of a dragon entwined with a womans body in it's center.

"I know what place this is..." she gasped.


	56. Chapter 55 - Family Bond

**Lilly's POV**

"_The guardians of dragons we were called, living on the sapphire island - a safe haven for dragons and humans alike..."_

My grandfather's words resounded in my mind as I stared at the blue map in front of me. I closed my eyes at the intensity of my memory, it was like he was here with me, I could almost feel his hand touching my shoulder, his blue eyes that looked so much like mine still gazing at me with more love than I deserved. 

But he was not here. He was dead. 

Tears welled up in my eyes. _You_ _didn't deserve this grandfather, why...why did you have to die...you did nothing wrong. It's not just..._

"Lilly?"

I opened my eyes and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. It was not my grandfather's hand on my shoulder but Hiccup's. Concern was written all over his face and I realized I had crouched down, elbows on my thighs, my head braced between my hands. I must've looked like on the verge of some kind of breakdown. 

I straightened up and put my hand on his. "It's okay, just a memory." He frowned, not convinced but didn't force the issue. I was thankful for that. To push aside my dark thoughts I pointed to the map projected to the ship. "I think this map leads to the sapphire island. You know, the place my grandfather told me of. Where my father met my mother." I whispered.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Pretty sure. My father made a promise to never come back to the island if my mother would come with him."

"That would explain the note." Hiccup mused as he picked the dragon eye back up. "Oh by Thor this is amazing! I mean we could actually fly to the island where Freya ordered the dragon to bring the woman. Who knows what we could find there? Maybe even new dragons..." He couldn't hide the excitement sparkling in his eyes and I felt a sting in my heart.

"We wouldn't find anything. Drago destroyed the whole island, took all the dragons and killed all the people. It's a graveyard." my voice was filled with bitterness and I turned away from Hiccup, feeling tears well up again. _He leaves a trail of death and destruction behind wherever he goes._

"I'm sorry, Lilly." My heart skipped a beat as Hiccup wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his head against mine. "But what if there's still something out there, something that could help us to defeat Drago. It could mean the freedom of hundreds of dragons." His breath tingled in my ear and I relaxed into his hug. _He's right...what if there is something on the island...maybe we should have a look..._

"I think you're right, maybe we should fly to the island..." I sighed and closed my eyes as I felt Hiccup nuzzle my neck. The things Astrid and Ruffnut told me earlier today were still vivid in my head and had left me confused, it was something I still needed to figure out. _Maybe I should just__ ask him what he knows about this...thing._

"Hiccup?" I said, determined to get answers.

"Hmm?"

Just as I was about to speak up again I was interrupted by the sound of someone calling. "There you are, lovebirds!"

Stoick's booming voice startled me and Hiccup let go off me almost instantly as we watched his father and Viggo approach us. Hiccup sighed in annoyance and I could hardly suppress a giggle. _Their meeting must be over._

Viggo frowned as he saw my swollen eyes and reached out to touch my cheek. "Are you alright, Lilly?"

I pressed my face against his hand for a moment and nodded. "I'm okay...Hiccup managed to unlock the dragon eye lens."

"You did?" Viggo turned to Hiccup. "Now I'm curious, tell me how did it work."

Hiccup's face lit up with excitement as he pointed to Jali who still laid curled up at the shore. "Well as there are waves on the lens I thought maybe we would need the help of a tidal class dragon. Jali's steam unlocked it."

"A water dragon, of course. Simply brilliant." Viggo mused.

"I told you my son is brilliant!" Stoick laughed and clapped Hiccup's back so hard that he stumbled forward and almost dropped the dragon eye in the process.

"Dad!" Hiccup exclaimed and rubbed his back. I couldn't help but smile at the scene before me. Stoick's eyes sparkled with pride for his son.

"Brilliant indeed." Viggo's expression was unreadable as he brought his hands behind his back. "Now mind telling me what's on the lens?"

"You will not believe it." I said and grabbed my brothers arm as we headed back to our house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So everything the old man told you was true." Viggo sat behind his desk, his eyes never leaving the map projected onto the wall of his office as everyone had gathered around the dragon eye once more.

"Of course it is true! And he's not just an old man, he was our grandfather." Upset I crossed my arms in front of my chest. _How can he even believe it wasn't true._

"Forgive me my love, it's hard for me to call a man I never met my grandfather." Viggo gave me an apologetic smile and reached out to touch my arm as I stood beside him. I felt myself relax again and let my arms drop to my sides, allowing Viggo to squeeze my hand before he pulled away.

Hiccup cleared his throat and pointed to the map. "Well, Lilly and I were talking about flying to the island."

"Oh yes, let us fly there! Just imagine the knowledge the guardians of dragons may have left behind!" Fishlegs could hardly contain his excitement.

"Or a bone of the first dragon, that would be awesome." Tuffnut chimed in.

"Yeah, but I get the skull!" Ruffnut snickered.

"Who said you get the coolest stuff!?" Tuffnut retorted and they started bickering.

"Oh for the love of Thor! Ruff, Tuff, please!" Hiccup groaned, rolling his eyes.

I shifted a little bit, beginning to feel uneasy at the twins exclamations and I could feel Viggo tense up beside me too. He had brought his hand to his forehead and I could tell he was getting annoyed. What he said next however completely threw me.

"I do not believe flying to the sapphire island is a good idea." 

A pregnant silence descended on the room as everybody was staring at my brother.

"What? But why?" I felt heat rush to my cheeks. How can he be so indifferent about it? At least it's the place our mother came from.

"Because as we speak Drago is gathering his army. The is no doubt he's going to attack us, the only thing we don't know is when and where he strikes first. We invaded his base and Drago will not let us get away with it. Stoick and I agreed that he would return to Berk, we need to prepare our islands for war. Time is of the essence, I cannot leave our people now." he spoke with a low but hard voice "And my injuries still need healing, I can't ride Fulgur for a long time."

"Viggo is right. Valka and I will head back to Berk and build up the defenses. Our people need us too, son." Stoick added and put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder who looked utterly disappointed and shook his head.

"Yeah dad, Berk needs you! But we could still fly off - what if we find something that helps us defeating Drago?" Hiccup pointed to the gang and me as he spoke and Viggo huffed.

"Do you really think I would let Lilly fly off alone dear Hiccup?"

Hiccup's cheeks flushed red in anger and I could see him clench his fists. "She wouldn't be alone...I will protect her, you can be sure of that!" he said through gritted teeth but my brother only raised his eyebrows and stated matter of fact:

"And we all know how good you did this job the last time you promised me this."

"Viggo, stop it! That's not fair!" Astrid exclaimed but I didn't pay much attention to the starting arguing.

I just stood there and stared at my brother in disbelief. What happened to me wasn't Hiccup's fault. I couldn't bear this any more and without another word I stormed out of Viggo's office and up to my room. Smashing the door behind me I let myself fall on my bed, curling up into a fetal position. _  
_

All that happened in the past weeks and months left me so confused I couldn't separate out the colours of my feelings anymore. Love, fear, desperation, pity, fury and even flashes of hatred. The carefree days I spent on my island forever gone. _But I need to find out what's on this island, I just need to know..._

A knock on my door brought me back from my thoughts. "Who's there?"

"Your brother. May I come in?"

I hesitated for a moment but decided to let him in. However I didn't turn to look at him as I felt him sit down on the edge of my bed. "Do you want to talk about it?" his voice a gentle sound.

I turned my head and found Viggo's dark eyes looking straight into mine. I shifted into a seating position, leaning my head back against the bedframe and closed my eyes again. There was something else nudging on my mind and I had to get it out now. "Do you sometimes wonder how our lives would be if they were all still alive? If nothing of this had ever happened?"

"What do you mean my love?" Viggo inched to my side, sitting in the same position as I was and I opened my eyes to look at him again. "Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to have a mother, what our life would have been like if she never died. How different father and Ryker may have been if we only were a complete family." I didn't notice the tears running down my face till I felt one drop on my hand. Sadness clouded my brother's features and he sighed, pulling me closer to him so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. 

"I've learned that what ifs don't get you anywhere little flower." I let out a shaky breath and he whispered: "But you'll always have me, wherever you turn. I promise."

I nodded slightly into his shoulder and took his not bandaged hand in mine, interlacing our fingers. I knew he meant every word he said. I remembered as a little child he had been as constant as the sun in the sky for me, always able to make me laugh, chase away bad dreams, shield me from the careless spite of Ryker. Some things would never change. _Little sister. Big brother. Always. However old we grow. _

I felt comfortable and protected in his arms and felt tiredness taking over me. Still there was something else plaguing me.

"Viggo?" I whispered.

"Little sister."

"I would ask you something."

"Then ask and it is yours." his voice sounded sincere.

I let go off his hand and pushed myself up to look at him. "I would ask you to let me go. Let me fly to the sapphire island with Hiccup."

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head lightly. "Lilly you cannot..."

"But I must. Please. What happened was not Hiccup's fault. I just need to know if there's more to the place where our mother came from." I looked at him with pleading eyes and eventually he sighed: "I guess I just gave you my word..." 

A small smile tugged at my lips.

"But..." he continued "no overhasty take-off. I want you to train more before I let you fly anywhere. And you finish your work with Nanna, she needs you."

"Thank you." I pulled him into a tight hug and Viggo kissed my forehead before he left the room to let me sleep. I closed my eyes with a small smile on my lips. _I know who's going to be excited about this. _


	57. Chapter 56 - Viggo's decision...

**Viggo's POV**

The door closed behind me with a faint creak and I leaned back against the dark wood for a moment. This has not turned out the way I intended it to. I cursed under my breath for my inability to deny my sister anything, but there's no way she can fly to this island. Not now. Not under these circumstances. I knew I had to come up with something to prevent her from going.

My eyes scanned the hallway as I walked down the stairs for any sign the Berkians where still around but found the house quiet aside from the crackling sound of the torches that enlightened the hall. Good, I was not in the mood for another annoying discussion with Hiccup or one of his friends. I knew they all helped me to get my dear sister back, especially Hiccup, but it was done now. Lilly was back where she belonged, here with our tribe, with me. I couldn't deny my wish that they would all leave soon. I had to take the necessary measures to prepare my island for Drago's possible attack and no time to deal with the boy putting reckless ideas in my sisters head. Apart from that I couldn't stand his constant advances towards Lilly. Nanna's words were still resounding in my head and I knew, probably better than most, the bitter truth behind them.

Deep in thoughts I headed towards my office and frowned when I saw a strip of light shining from the crack at the bottom of the door. Careful not to make any sound, I pushed the door open and stepped into the room to find Hiccup sitting in front of the dragon eye and scribbling something into his notebook with great precision and concentration. He didn't notice me until I stood right behind him, ogling over his shoulder to see what he was drawing. Of course it was the map. Over the past few months that I've come to know Hiccup Haddock I've learned that the only thing the boy could hardly resist was the possibility to find a new dragon. Right then an idea hit me and my lips curled up into a light grin. _This will work._

"I see you're drawing the map?"

Hiccup startled and almost broke his charcoal pencil as he spun around to face me. His face turned pale and his eyes widened, it was obvious that he felt caught out and I couldn't suppress a chuckle. The boy was so easily intimidated by me and I could hardly deny how much it amused me.

"Viggo...I...uh...I'm just..." Hiccup stammered.

"Everything's alright, Hiccup. Please, go on." I said and gestured to his drawing.

He gave me a puzzled look. "You let me?"

I walked around the desk and sat down in my chair, resting my elbows on the desk and folding my hands as good as possible with the bandage wrapped around my wrist. "I do." I said calmly and let my gaze wander to the dragon eye that rested on my desk. "But I would like to make you a better proposal."

Hiccup raised his brows. "Like what?"

I chuckled again. "Oh my dear Hiccup, I know how eager you are to find out what's on that island, the possibility to find another new dragon is gnawing at your mind. It's written all over your face." I paused and watched Hiccup press his lips together in obvious discomfort that he was so easy to read before I continued: "What would you say if I decide to give you the dragon eye?"

I leaned back in my chair slightly, resting my elbows on the armrests and brought my fingertips together in front of my mouth while I waited for the boy's reaction. It came almost immediately. Hiccup's jaw dropped and he shook his head lightly as if he was not sure of what he had just heard. "You...you would give it to me? But why, I thought you didn't want us to fly to the island."

"Yes, I would. As for the other part, that's only partly true. However there's one condition." I said and leaned slightly forward again.

"What condition?"

"You and your friends leave tonight before the sun rises and Lilly stays." I replied in a decidedly relaxed tone.

Hiccup grunted in response and shook his head. "That's not fair, Viggo! Lilly deserves to know what's on the island your mother came from. Let her come, I promise to look after her."

I narrowed my eyes in annoyance and my voice sounded much harsher now. "I'm not here to negotiate with you dear Hiccup. Lilly is not in the condition to handle such a journey, if she believes it or not. She's my little sister, I know what's best for her and I say she stays. Here where she's safe, with her people." _With me. _I thought but didn't say it out loud. "The choice is up to you, Hiccup. You can either go without her or stay and don't fly off at all."  
To emphasize my statement I reached out and took the boy's notebook from him along with the dragon eye. "So what do you say?"

Hiccup glared at me for several moments and clenched his jaw. I could almost hear him thinking as he fought with himself to decide what to do.

"If I go, can I say goodbye to Lilly first?" he finally asked.

"No. I don't see the need to wake and upset her." I said casually and Hiccup's mouth twitched in anger.

"But Viggo..."

"Make your choice Hiccup." I interrupted the boy, getting impatient.

Hiccup closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before he made his decision. "Okay Viggo, we will go without her." he sighed "Please tell Lilly, I'm sorry for leaving her. But as you said, it's probably better for her to stay. Oh Thor, I do hope we find something that will help us with Drago."

Pleased with his answer, I gave him a reassuring nod and handed the dragon eye and his notebook back to him as I got up from my seating position. "I am certain your journey will bring us new insights and I will await your return. But now come, let's wake your friends and inform your father, shall we?" I said and escorted Hiccup out of my office and down the hall.

Soon enough I stood in front of the house and watched as the six dragon riders disappeared into the dark night sky. Fulgur trotted to my side and made a sound that sounded almost accusing as he nudged my side. "What?" I said and raised my arms in defense. "Everything I do is for her own good. The boy would cause her trouble sooner or later. It's better this way." Fulgur growled and gave me a look as if he was saying: _Better for her or better for you? _  
I frowned and crossed my arms. "Oh don't give me that look."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up early the next morning to a stinging pain in my right thigh. The wound where Asmund hit me ached again. Groaning I pushed myself up into a sitting position. _Hand, leg, ribs, stab wound to the side, I think I got enough over the last weeks...__I feel like a cripple..._

I let my gaze wander to the window to see the sun was just about to rise, but it didn't matter much. There was no way I could get back to sleep now with this stinging leg of mine so I decided to get up and head to my office. It wasn't like there's no work waiting for me. Carefully I brought one foot after the other over the edge of my bed and stood up. Another sharp sting shot through my leg and I hissed in pain, holding onto the bedpost. _Godsdamnit, I thought it was getting better. _I cursed under my breath and waited till my body adjusted a little bit, trying my best to rest most of my weight on the uninjured leg. I would have to let Nanna check on my wound later again.

It took me a while till I finally reached my office and sighed in relief as I let myself slump into my chair and started to get out some parchments and maps of our island to plan on where to place the new defense mechanisms. After a while I heard a light knock on the door and frowned. I didn't like being torn from my thoughts but asked the person in anyway. Looking up, I saw it was Magnus who walked into the room, closing the door behind him carefully before he approached my desk. He was carrying several parchments and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. He looked concerned.

"Magnus, what can I do for you this early?" I asked with a frown.

Magnus gave a small but respectful bow before he spoke. "Excuse the disturbance, chief. I bring you the report of our stock as you requested."

With a small nod, I took the reports from his hands and started reading. Magnus scratched his beard while he watched me with anticipation. Flipping through the paperwork I felt my heart sink. "Oh my...Magnus please don't tell me that's all?"

"I fear it is, Sir. We're running out of supplies. If we don't manage to stock up soon we won't have enough supplies to get the tribe through the winter." Magnus admitted.

I let the parchments drop onto my desk and brought one hand to my forehead. After the attack of Johann and Ryker I had expected losses but not that much. _I_ _need to think of something, quickly. _"We have to trade more." I mused.

"Sir, there's nothing left to trade with. All products made of dragons where burned just like you commanded and we haven't established enough alternatives yet."

"Of course, of course, I know." I said and knitted my brows. This was a major problem. Since my absence everything seemed to go down the drain. And now with another forthcoming attack of Drago and winter at the doorstep it seemed very unlikely to solve it in time. Stoick promised to help of course, but he needs to provide for his own tribe as well, it will hardly be enough to come through the winter. _What am I supposed to do? _Still lost deep in my thoughts I didn't realize straight away that Magnus was about to talk to me again until he cleared his throat. All I needed was a look into his blue eyes and I already knew what he was up to.

"Save your thoughts, say nothing." I almost growled.

"I haven't uttered a word, Sir."

"No, but I can hear you thinking. And that's not possible, so drop it Magnus." I insisted.

Magnus however was relentless. "Forgive me, Sir but we will need every support we can get. May I remind you of our alliance with..."

"Former alliance." I muttered. "If I remember correctly he threatened me to cut off my head the last time we met."

Magnus leaned slightly forward. "I've heard rumors that the old chief is dead. Maybe it is time to remind the new chief of an alliance that existed for decades between our tribes."

I let my fingertips drum on the wooden desk as my mind raced about what to do. Magnus was right. We were on the verge of war and would need every help we could get. And we need supplies. Urgently. _Very well then, it's time to swallow my pride..._

"I'll take your word for it, Magnus." I said as I pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing. As soon as I finished I put my wax seal on the paper roll and handed the letter over to Magnus. "Find a Terrible Terror to bring them our request."

Magnus bowed again before he turned to leave the room. I leaned back in my chair and let out a heavy sigh. _I just hope they will take it well..._

  
**Lilly's POV**

"No!" with a cry I startled out of another abysmal nightmare of Drago. My cheeks were wet and my body was bathed in a cold sweat. The furs were twisted around my limbs, probably because I was thrashing in my sleep. My heart pounded against my chest and I trembled uncontrollably. It took me a few moments to realize the sun had already risen and bathed my room in golden light. No one came this night to comfort me, no Hiccup, no Viggo. Not even Shadow and Hope were here. I felt alone and anxious as I wrapped myself into a fur blanket once more to try to calm the goose-flesh crawling over my body. It bothered me to be left alone with my terrors. The words my brother said last night were haunting me. Drago was planning to attack us. I shivered with fear. _I don't think I can handle seeing his dark, scarred face again... _I thought and buried my face into the blanket while waves of dread ripped through my body, I felt like I could hardly breathe.

After a while I managed to calm myself enough to get up. I was desperate for some kind of comfort and decided to ask Ida to make me a hot yak milk, the most calming thing I could think of and to find Hiccup. Surely he's up already. _I_ _need to tell him that Viggo allowed me to fly to the island if I train more. Maybe we could start right away. _

Wiping my tears away with the back of my hand I closed the door of my room behind me and walked down the stairs to the kitchen when I suddenly bumped into Valka, causing her to drop the bundle of cloths she was carrying before. I muttered a quick apology as I got to my knees to help her pick the items up again. She gave me a surprised look. "Lilly, you're still here? I thought you left with Hiccup and the others."

_What? _I froze and raised my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Valka looked uneasy as she realized I had no idea what she was talking about. She took my hand in hers and I frowned, not liking where this was going. "Oh I'm sorry Lilly. Stoick told me Hiccup and the others flew off last night with the dragon eye to find the sapphire island."

"What...?" my heart dropped and I drew back my hand from her grip. _No, this can't be true. He wouldn't... _But the look in Valka's eyes told me she was saying the truth. Like in trance I stumbled to my feet and out of the house, not able to hear Valka calling after me. Tears welled up in my eyes and my heart, my heart ached so bad I feared it might break to pieces. I clutched my hands over my heart and walked round the house to the backyard where Hiccup and I used to train and broke down. A choking sound left my throat, I wasn't even able to cry properly. I was just a sobbing mess, tugging at my own hair, I repeated the same words over and over again in my head. _He left...he left without me...he didn't even bother to say goodbye...am I such a burden to be left behind?...Maybe he didn't love me after all...he left..._


	58. Chapter 57 - ...and Lilly's despair

**Hiccup's POV**

We were flying for hours now, always heading southeast when I felt exhaustion taking hold of my body. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, taking in the bright orange light squeezing its way through thick grey clouds. The sun was just about to rise. It was chilly and the scent of rain hung in the air as I watched the sky darken again and the colors of morning light fade away as quickly as they came before. The first roll of thunder growled in the distance and it looked like we were flying straight towards the storm.

_Great, _I thought sarcastically.

It was like the upcoming storm was a reflection of the storm that was raging inside of me. I felt bad for leaving Lilly behind and just hoped that she would forgive me for leaving her without a word of goodbye. _But I had no other choice, right?_  
_It's either this way or Viggo would have taken the dragon eye from me and we wouldn't have a chance to fly to the island at all. Still...it doesn't feel right..._

"What do you think bud, did we make the right choice?" I asked and let my fingers trace the black scales of his head absentmindedly. Toothless turned to look at me and gave a worried purr. "Yeah, I'm not sure about it either..." I muttered.

"Hiccup! We're heading right into the storm!" Astrid cried out from behind.

I startled from my thoughts and stiffened as I looked up again. Astrid was right, the clouds were getting darker and I felt the first drops of rain splatter across my skin. Another thunder rolled, louder this time and Toothless let out a growl.

"Okay, let's be careful, guys." I yelled above the upcoming wind.

The rain fell more harsh now as we entered a cloud bank. The air was freezing and I started to shiver as the rain soaked through my clothes. Lightning flashed across the sky and another thunder growled. I could hear our dragons making sounds of distress and Fishlegs yell: "We need to find an island for shelter!"

I knew he was right, the storm was getting worse with every minute and we were all exhausted given we didn't get any sleep last night. Looking around frantically I finally spotted a small island in the distance. "Let's land over there!" I shouted.

"WHAT?" The others couldn't hear me over the roaring storm and I gestured to the island and eventually they saw it too.

As soon as we landed on the rocky island we looked for a cave that would give us shelter from the heavy downpour and eventually found a small cavern a the foot of a mountain that built the center of the island. Dripping wet and shivering we entered into the cave and I lit Inferno to provide us with a little light as we stepped further into the darkness. Our dragons gathered around us and Hookfang set himself on fire, lightning the walls in a soft red glow. I shuddered again as I felt the radiating heat fill the cave and warming us up.

"Tell me again, what are we doing here?!" Snotlout complained as he took off his helmet and shook his hair in order to get it dry.

"We're flying to the sapphire island and see if we find anything important." Fishlegs reminded.

"I know what we're doing Fishface!" Snotlout snapped "I just don't see why we're doing it."

I rolled my eyes and grumbled in annoyance as I rummaged through my bag hanging from Toothless' saddle and pulled out the dragon eye. "We're doing this for Lilly, Snotlout. She can't be here with us, that's why we need to find out what's on this island for her."

Snotlout snorted. "No, I correct you Hiccup. _You_ are doing this for Lilly. We are just supposed to follow you if we like it or not and now we're stuck in this cold cave and I'm hungry." he crossed his arms and rested his back against the wall. "And by the way, didn't you tell us the island has been burnt down by Drago? We won't find anything anyway."

Tuffnut inhaled sharply and started to nibble at his fingers: "Woah guys...abandoned island, destroyed villages, remains of dead people...I bet this place is crawling with ghosts and other such spirits planning on dragging us down to the dark Viking underworld where they will torture us by tickling us for eternity!"

"Woah, Niflheim? This gives me the creeps..." Ruffnut exclaimed and Tuffnut nodded in agreement. "Right, the creeps sis and you know what it means when I get the creeps..."

Bringing my hand in front of my face I sighed heavily. "Oh by the love of Thor! No one is going to Niflheim! And what you're saying isn't fair Snotlout. You know as well as I do that Lilly would want to be here." _I'm way too tired to deal with this craziness..._

"Yeah right, but Vig-bro didn't let her, because he knew this plan is insane! But who cares, as long as the princess is safe. It must be great to always be in the middle of everyone's attention. But I'm glad she's not here anyway, at least I can get some sleep this way." Snotlout ranted on and I felt anger boil up in my veins. The lack of sleep caused our temper to rise.

I clenched my fists as an undeniable urge to punch Snotlout rose in my stomach. "Do you even hear yourself talking, Snotlout? You know what she's been through...and Viggo...he just cares for her a lot." I gritted out through clenched teeth.

"A lot lot." Fishlegs mumbled and rubbed his foot on the ground, avoiding my glare.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped, clearly outraged now, when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and turned to face Astrid who looked at me with a worried expression on her face.

"Calm down, Hiccup. We all know you care about Lilly a lot, we are not blind to see what's going on between you two. But...and believe me I hate to say that, I think Snotlout is right. I am glad Lilly isn't here too."

I pushed her hand off my shoulder and was about to retort but she raised her hands to stop me. "No, please Hiccup, listen to me. I don't say, that I don't like Lilly, it's just she's not a fighter, she's not used to what we are. And...she can be a little difficult. And I miss the old Hiccup, you aren't the same anymore since you met her."

"What are you talking about Astrid?" I shook my head, I couldn't believe what was going on here.

"You can't see it, Hiccup. You're doing it again, you know?" she continued. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes before I said: "Doing what?"

Astrid let out a deep sigh. "Your brain is in a fog again because of a pretty face. Just like it was with Heather."

I couldn't help but laugh, this whole situation was ridiculous. "Astrid, Heather is our friend and so is Lilly. You didn't have a problem to use her as a distraction for Viggo at the auction, did you? And wasn't it Lilly who saved us there?"

"Of course I remember! It's just she spent most of her time with you or the dragons, we barely know her and she is Viggo's sister after all." Astrid said.

"Don't forget her constant running off, it's annoying." Snotlout interjected again. My expression hardened but I decided to ignore him.

"Viggo, who is now our ally." I reminded.

"Yes, but Hiccup he is still Viggo Grimborn. You never know what comes next with him. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for Lilly that she's safe with her brother now but that's the point. She's where she belongs and it's obvious Viggo doesn't want us to stay around them any longer. Maybe we should just move on, return to Berk. Your father needs you, Hiccup. Berk needs you. Especially with a man like Drago being out there." Astrid was relentless in her arguing and I couldn't hide my anger any longer.

"Is that what you're all thinking?" I let my gaze wander around my friends with narrowed eyes. Fishlegs was staring at the ground, finding the little stones a very interesting thing to look at while the twins only shrugged and Snotlout snorted. _Oh I can't believe this. _A pregnant silence descended on to us and we could hear the heavy rain pouring down outside, a lightning enlightened the cave and the roaring thunder that followed caused the walls of the cave to vibrate.

Closing my eyes I inhaled deeply before I made my decision. "Well that's it then." I glared at them. I turned to Toothless and put the dragon eye back in the saddle bag. "What are you doing?" Astrid asked as I hopped on Toothless' back.

"I know Drago is still out there and that's why I need to fly to this island. There's more to it, I can feel it." my voice came out low. "You don't have to join me, just head to Berk." Toothless turned and we were about to leave the cave when I heard Fishlegs call out to me. "Hiccup, the storm's still going on."

"I know, Fishlegs." With that Toothless spurted out of the cave and took off into the raging storm. I was still furious. _How can they talk like that? But I know what I have to do now._  
_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_  
**Lilly's POV**

Numb. That's how I felt, numb and empty. I walked down the streets of the town to Nanna's house and felt the people still staring at me whenever I crossed their path. If you listened closely you could hear the women talk about what Viggo has done for me. They could barely contain their excitement for it was a truly chivalric tale. How he crossed the sea to get me back with nothing what could've stopped him, how he tamed a wild Skrill, how he faced Drago without fear and of course how he defeated Asmund to get his tribe back. And then there were the stories about me, how I wouldn't stop crying and giving my brother a hard time, how I just had my dragons in my head and didn't care about the tribe, how strange I was for speaking with dragons. I wish I could say they were wrong, but they weren't. I felt like I didn't belong here, that didn't include Viggo of course but I didn't feel like I was a part of the tribe my brother was so proud of. _Oh if they would just stop staring at me._

I sighed in relief when I finally reached Nanna's hut and stepped inside, closing the door to shield me from the curious eyes. Turning around I found Viggo standing in the middle of the room while Nanna was putting a fresh bandage around his thigh. He looked at me and smiled. I couldn't return it. I just stood there, frozen in my place. "What's the matter little flower?" he asked when he realized I wouldn't move, his face turning to an emotionless mask. _Doesn't he know?_

"Did you know it?" I rasped out, my voice still weak from crying.

Viggo sighed heavily and beckoned me to come to him. 

I did. 

Nanna was eying us with interest but didn't say a word as she continued her work. "Hiccup thought it's safer for you to stay, my dear. You're not used to such journeys like his friends are. And I think so too."

I clenched my fists and bit my lip in anger as I felt my eyes well up again. "You promised me I could go after I trained more..."

"I did. But you see, it seems that would have taken too long for your friends." he said in a calm voice.

"And so he left without saying goodbye?" my voice cracked and I brought a hand in front of my mouth to dim the sobbing sound that traitorously made its way up my throat.

Nanna clicked her tongue and let go of Viggo's leg as she got up. The old healer put the remaining bandages away and started to hum a foreign tune as she walked over to her fireplace and started to throw different herbs into the vessel above the fire.

Viggo stared at her for a moment and I sniffed, shaking violently now, I felt betrayed, outraged and desperate at the same time. It was overwhelming. "He was the first friend I ever had, I can't believe this...I needed to go there, for grandfather! And he knew it, he knew it was important to me! Still I wasn't even worth a word of goodbye!"

Viggo turned to face me and tried to rest his hands on my shoulders in attempt to calm me but I turned my back on him and crossed my arms. I could hear him sigh again. "Calm down Lilly. You still have me. And this is your home, you are safe here. This is what really matters to me."

Sobbing freely now I clutched my arms around my body and I'm sure I would've broken down if it wasn't for Viggo wrapping his arms around me from behind and holding me close. "I-is it true, b-brother...that...that love is blind?" I stammered and looked up when I felt Nanna touch my face. The elder held a cup with a steaming drink in front of my nose. It smelled of fresh herbs.

"Drink. It will help. You shall feel no more." she said softly and I complied. To feel nothing anymore was a very pleasing thought to me. The drink tasted a littler bitter but left me feeling warm and numb. I started to feel sleepy and through clouded vision I could hear my brother whisper. 

"Blind and deaf and dumb, my love."

Then I fell into blessed darkness.


	59. Chapter 58 - Plans

**3rd persons POV**

Way up north the warlord stood before a dark wooden table in the main hall of his fortress, his dark eyes pinned onto a large map spread out before him. He had called for his highest ranking trappers, hunters and allies to gather in his base and prepare for his planned attack. Drago was still outraged that a wild bunch of dragon riding vikings had dared to burst into his camp, not to speak of this hunter, this Grimborn who managed to sneak into his base so easily. Of course Drago would not tolerate such a lack in the security measures and the two guards who let themselves be overcome so carelessly had been executed. No one failed him twice.

Drago narrowed his eyes as he scanned the map for the places his men had already scoured on their search for the girl and her night fury. Up to now his men had not managed to find her and Drago felt his patience crumbling away. He needed her back. One would think she was only a weak child and that might be true in one way, but if she ever discovered the true power of will, she could become a serious threat. No, he would not take that risk. He alone controlled the dragons and he would break the girl, make her submissive to his orders like he did with every other dragon before.

The warlord closed his eyes for one brief moment as his mind traveled back to the day it all began. The day he lost not only his arm but everyone and everything he loved and held dear to the cruel beasts was also the day that changed him forever. That day Drago made a vow to himself, to rise above the fear of dragons and even more than that. To raise an army, conquer both men and dragon kind and rule the world as it's dragon god. The world would come to know and fear his name and whoever refused to bow to him had no right to life.   
Some people considered him mad, but Drago didn't care what people thought of him as long as they obeyed. In his eyes, he was nothing more but a visionary with a dream and he would not stop until he fulfilled his destiny.

"Lord Bludvist!" Drago looked up to see his commanders had arrived and were now bowing before their master. He grunted in acknowledgment as he let his gaze wander from one man to the other. He frowned. Someone was missing.

"Where's Asmund?" he growled.

His men shared a meaningful glance and a man with short dark-blond hair and moustache stepped forward and bowed his head before he spoke up: "My lord. Unfortunately I have to bring bad news. I recently received a terror mail from Asmund's tribe...he is dead. He lost his life in combat against Viggo Grimborn who is now chief again. They will not supply us with any more dragons, my lord. I've been told that he has formed an alliance with Stoick the Vast of Berk, whose son is known to have made peace with the dragons. Now they're training them and keep them...like pets." The man called Bjorn spat and Drago growled in anger, his eyes turning even darker.

"But..." Bjorn continued "You'll be pleased to know that he brought the girl you are looking for with him along with the night fury. However Viggo Grimborn is aware of your intentions to attack and is now preparing his tribe for war."

Drago nodded in confirmation and a wicked smile formed on his lips. Finally. The search had come to an end. Now he would not only take the girl back but remove this Viggo Grimborn from the face of the world along with his tribe - and Berk would follow soon.

"Drago! My dear old friend!"

The warlord narrowed his eyes and growled again at the man who dared to address him in such an irreverent way. It was Eret, son of Eret, self-proclaimed best dragon trapper in the world and he did bring Drago a considerable amount of dragons, but his arrogance was a trait that Drago found despicable. 

The trapper however took a few steps forward, a wide grin on his face and continued: "I'm glad to say that I've got good news too. We were setting out new dragon traps a few miles away from here when my men and I discovered a huge dragon nest. It's located in a mountain made of ice and guarded by another Bewilderbeast." The wicked grin on Drago's lips grew even wider. At least that annoying trapper proved himself worthy this time. 

Eret couldn't help the chill Drago's grin sent down his spine.

The warlord extended his arm and spoke in his roaring voice: "Finally, it's time to strike! We will attack the nest at once. The alpha will fight furiously to protect its nest but I've got a suitable challenger. We will take it down and capture all the dragons. Then we will take down the Grimborn tribe and Berk. Those who dare to rise up against us shall be crushed to the ground. It is time that they'll witness true strength! In the face of it - they are nothing."

Drago's men cheered in agreement and followed their leader as he grabbed his bullhook and left his fortress to head to his command ship. He inhaled the chilly air and chuckled to himself - finally he was another step closer to his vision.

The last one to leave the fortress was a young man, twenty one years of age, with olive skin and light brown eyes. Robert Frigard, the newly crowned chief of the island of Solsteinn ran his hands through his shoulder long black hair and let out the biggest breath in his life. It was the first time he had met the warlord and he couldn't deny the dark man was intimidating him. As soon as he stepped out onto the icy street a dark cloaked figure was at his side.

"How did it go?"

Robert startled a little before he managed to answer. "Drago is leading us to attack some kind of dragon nest and then he's planning to attack the tribe of Viggo Grimborn...he has a girl Drago is obviously looking for...but I didn't get it really...we're just supposed to support him with our father's fleet I guess."

His companion stiffened as he mentioned the name Grimborn and Robert frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yes and no. We've got a message forwarded from home. Here."

Robert grabbed the small roll of parchment and felt his heart drop as his eyes fell on the insignia on it. Quickly he unrolled the parchment and read. "Oh by Odin. What am I going to do now? What would father do?" He exclaimed and let his hand run over his stubbled chin when he felt a hand cover his other one which was still holding the letter.

"Let me take care of it. Maybe we should hear him out and even if we don't come to an agreement, he invited us to his island. This could give us a considerable advantage."

Robert nodded, but looked still worried. "Alright. Just be careful. You know why..."

"Oh don't worry, I know what I have to do. I'll send you my report when the time comes. Do you trust me, Robert?"

"Of course I do."

"Good. It's time I pay an old friend a visit."


	60. Chapter 59 - Prelude to the drama

**Viggo's POV**

A cold breeze brushed trough my hair and I wrapped my cloak tighter around my shoulders as I closed the door of my house behind me and started to walk down the path to the docks. I've sent several groups of my men off to collect different supplies I planned on using to defend our island and was now about to check the load of the incoming ships. Hopefully they managed to gather everything we needed.

Lilly was still asleep and probably would be for the next couple of hours according to Nanna. It was not my intention to give her any sort of sleeping draught in the first place but seeing how desperate and upset she was told me that Nanna was most likely right. She needed to calm down and rest, she didn't sleep much after all that happened to her. The herbs won't do her any harm, I remembered Nanna giving the same drink to me whenever I was at home and suffered from nightmares back...then. _I hate to see her so heartbroken, but she will get over it with time. She may be sad now, but she's safe and that's what truly matters. I will find a way to make her happy again, I always have._

Lost deep in my thoughts I finally reached the main gangplank where Magnus had already started to check the different kind of vessels and barrels the men were unloading from deck.

"Magnus, what do we have?"

He turned to face me and straightened his back as I stepped to his side. "Several barrels Monstrous Nightmare gel, Zippleback gas in these containers here and Flightmare mist over there."

I hummed to myself. "Excellent. The dragons?"

"Have not been hurt or captured just like you ordered. Although it takes us twice the time this way. We could have collected way more up to now if we just..."

"Drop it Magnus, my decision is final. We will have to make do with what we have."

Magnus gave a short nod though he didn't look convinced. "I beg your pardon Sir, but do you believe this will be enough to win a battle against Drago Bludvist? I've heard he has thousands of men from all around the world in his army, not to speak of the armoured dragons. I remember when he burned our town..."

"I have not forgotten what he has done, Magnus." I growled. "Back then we were not prepared, no one could have predicted what he had planned. But this time it's different, this time I will be ready for him. Drago might have a powerful army and more dragons than we have but his hunger for power has made him arrogant. He believes no one can get in his way. In his eyes we are nothing but an easy target, but I will love to prove him wrong. It's our advantage that he underestimates us." I paused and let my gaze wander to the horizon. "Someone once told me: Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception." Thinking about my grandfather gave my heart a painful sting. He would probably turn in his grave if he could see what has become of our family. It's only Lilly and I now. 

"A wise man indeed." Magnus said.

Shaking my head lightly to clear my thoughts I turned to face Magnus again. "Yes...well let's get started with the preparations, shall we?" I pulled out a map from under my cloak and spread it out on the nearest barrel. "We'll set up the traps here and there." Magnus stepped closer and gave a short nod in agreement. "I want to have a group of men hiding here at the cliffs, if Drago decides to land at the west-side shore we'll give his army a warm welcome surprise. I assume the device is ready?"

"Yes, Sir. But we risk losing many of our own men by using it during the battle." Magnus frowned, his eyes never leaving the map.

"I know, but that's unavoidable if we want to succeed. In game as in real life you must be willing to sacrifice every one of your pieces to be victorious and that's what we need to do if we want to stand a chance against Drago." I growled, getting annoyed. "But if everything should fail, I trust you are on track with the evacuation plan?"

"Everything's on track, Sir."

"Good. I will not let this madman slaughter innocent children, women and elders again. Any news from Solsteinn?"

"Not yet."

"Well I do hope they are well-disposed towards us." I mused. _Thor alone knows if I made the right decision._

"I don't believe we have to worry, I've heard that Robert is quite the opposite of his father. He's barely older than the son of Stoick the Vast and it shouldn't be hard to convince him of the advantages a new alliance with us would bring his tribe again." Magnus said.

"Never underestimate a man because of his age, Magnus. But I do agree with you...it's not Robert I'm concerned about."

~~~  
As soon as I finished instructing Magnus I decided to look for Fulgur and take him on a flight round the island to find the best spots to install the traps.

Walking up the path to my house I finally spotted him lying on his back in the meadow at the front side of the house along with Valka, who was apparently tickling Fulgur under his snout causing the big reptile to purr in joy. Cloudjumper stood nearby and watched the scene with interest. I couldn't help but chuckle at the behavior of the oh so proud Skrill. Valka did know a lot about dragons, I'll give her that. It's obvious Hiccup was taking after his mother. Still there was something about her that made me uncomfortable, she seemed to be more concerned about the dragons than about her own family - something I would never understand. Stopping beside her I cleared my throat. "Stunning. I've never seen a Skrill do that before."

Valka got to her feet and smiled at Fulgur who rolled around to get up, looking utterly content. "Yes, you know..."she turned to face me. "living nineteen years among dragons gave me enough time to learn their ways, discover their secrets. All those years I tried my best to rescue as many dragons as possible from Drago and...his hunters." She knitted her brows and I could tell from the look in her eyes that she still wasn't sure if she could trust me.

"Well making losses because of dragon riders became part of the business lately, but gladly enough I don't have to deal with that anymore."

"You changed your whole way of life because of your sister."

"It was the right thing to do. After all a dragon saved her life. Something I would have never believed a while ago and I doubt Lilly would've returned to our home if I didn't change our ways. You must know, I do hold my sister's interests very dear." I replied and Valka nodded in understanding.

"Where is Lilly? She looked so desperate when I last saw her. I wanted to talk to her before Stoick and I fly back to Berk. I can't imagine Hiccup would just leave without a word, they seemed so in love."

"She's sleeping. We should let her rest. I don't want her to get more upset than she already is." I said in a low voice and crossed my arms, not liking where this was going.

Valka frowned. "Alright, I will wait. I won't leave without saying goodbye, it wouldn't be right."

"If you wish." I said and beckoned Fulgur to follow me before I turned to leave. "Come my friend, let's go on a flight."

**Lilly's POV**

I awoke to a sweet smell filling my nose. My stomach rumbled and I could swear I heard someone giggle in the distance. The sweet nothingness that wrapped around my aching soul was slowly fading away. I groaned when I felt something wet and slick on my face. _No, no please go away...leave me alone_. I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids felt heavy, so heavy. Flailing my arms around I tried to push the still licking dragon off of me only to earn an annoyed squeak. _Hope?_ Someone chuckled again.

"It's time to wake up, Lilly."

_What_? Finally my eyes fluttered open. Everything seemed blurry but I could make out a person sitting at the edge of my bed. My bed. I was in my room. Wait, how did I get here? The last thing I knew was that I entered Nanna's hut - but why was I even there in the first place? It took me several moments till the memories came rushing back. "Hiccup..." Panting heavily I shot up into a sitting position and almost knocked the plate out of Martha's hand. Wait a minute...

"Martha?" I breathed out, my head was pounding and my vision still foggy. "What are you doing here?"

"Your brother sent me. He thought you might want one of these." she pointed to the little buns of bread on her plate. "They used to be your favorite when you were little."

My stomach rumbled again but I couldn't bring myself to eat. Why did I have to wake up? I just wanted to forget. "I'm not hungry." I noticed Hope licking her snout beside me and reached out to pet the little dragons head before I turned around and brought my blanket up to my chin. "Just give them to Hope. I want to sleep again."

"You slept the whole day, Lilly! Your brother wants you to get up." The blanket was pulled away from me and I groaned in annoyance.

"And he can't tell me himself?" I snapped.

"_Don't be so harsh, Lilly. She's right, you should get up now_." Shadow's voice resounded in my head.

Martha crossed her arms, I could see the anger in her face. "Lilly, do you even know with how much Chief Grimborn has to deal with right now? I know you are sad because the dragon riders left but you have to pull yourself together." She sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of my bed again. "Your brother has enough to worry about already."

"And since when do you care?" I pushed myself up once again and could feel heat rushing to my cheeks. _Out of all people, he sent Martha to me? Wasn't she the one who betrayed him after all? _

Martha's face fell at my words and I bit my lower lip as a pang of guilt swept through me. _What's wrong with me?   
_

She fumbled around with her fingers in her lap and lowered her gaze. "My mother worked for your family for years you know. I remember when I was little she would take me with her to play in the kitchen while she cooked and I enjoyed helping her. But sometimes I sneaked away to see what you and your brothers were doing. I would hide behind a curtain and watch as you chased around the house squeaking and giggling, trying to hide from the big dangerous dragon who was your brother till he got you and tickled you. I was jealous sometimes, you know I never had any siblings but I always admired the relationship you shared with Chief Grimborn." she paused and lifted her gaze to look at me. Her eyes were moist. I swallowed thickly, her story seemed so surreal to me. _I wish I could remember._

_"_And when you got lost your brother changed, he seemed to lose himself in some kind of darkness. He got a great ambition to build the reputation of our tribe to be the most successful dragon hunters in the world. Your brother was well known and feared by everyone. Even your own father was afraid of him sometimes. I was so happy for him when you returned, even if I'm just a servant in your house, I always cared what happened to your family." Martha continued.

I shook my head slightly in disbelief. "And still you betrayed us..."

A single tear ran down her cheek and Martha sniffed. "Don't you think I feel bad for what I've done? I...I had no choice and your brother...he said he forgives me and that it wasn't my fault...he lets me work for him again."

"He did?" I was not expecting that.

Martha nodded. "Yes...your brother...your brother is a good man." I titled my head as I watched a faint blush creep up Martha's cheeks. _Why is she blushing? _Then it hit me.

"You like my brother?" I screeched, causing Hope to jump in surprise. "But I thought you and Tuffnut..."

Martha's grey eyes widened and she turned an even brighter shade of red at my exclamation. "I...I...uhm...Tuffnut is nice and funny but we're just friends...and I...oh Lilly you must never tell him...please promise me you won't."

I shook my head in bewilderment, not able to wrap my mind about what had just been said. I just lost Hiccup and now Martha practically tells me she's in love with my brother? Viggo may have forgiven her but still she betrayed him, how can you betray someone you're in love with? But hasn't Hiccup just done the same? He betrayed me too... Feeling a lump rise in my throat I squeezed my eyes shut and clinched my hand over my heart, it hurt...it hurt really bad.

"_Shadow there was a reason we left our island, wasn't it?"_

"_I'm not sure what you mean..._"

_"Remind me of it."_

_"Lilly..."_

Just then a soft knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. Turning my head, I looked to see who was there. The door opened with a squeak and Viggo walked into my room. Immediately I sat up straight as I saw the exhausted expression on his face. His face however lit up when he realized I was awake. He let his gaze wander from me to Martha who was still quite red and frowned. "Martha, have you brought Lilly the breads like I told you?"

Martha jumped to her feet and pointed to the plate that still rested untouched on my bedside table. "I did, Sir. I think I should leave now..." With that she spurted out of the room. Viggo stared after her for a few seconds before he returned his gaze to me. "Is there anything I need to know?" he asked.

Groaning in frustration I let myself fall back on my pillow covering my face with my hands. It was all to much for me, I just wished Nanna would give me more of this sleep drink again - feeling nothing that's what I was craving for.

I felt the bed shift as Viggo sat down beside me. "How do you feel little flower? Talk to me." he spoke softly.

Slowly I let my hands drop to my side and let my gaze wander to the window in my room. Just then did I notice it was already dark outside. _How long did I sleep? _

_"_Horrible." I whispered. "My heart...it hurts...I miss him." And it did hurt, pretty damn much. I felt tears welling up in my eyes and tried to fight back the sob that crept up my throat.

Viggo sighed and pulled me into his arms, I buried my face in his chest and continued to cry my eyes out. Viggo rubbed my back softly the whole time. "You need to eat something my love, you're getting too thin." His voice sounded concerned.

I just shook my head and sniffed. "I'm not hungry. You can have all of the breads."

"No!" Viggo raised his voice causing me to jerk in his arms. "You have to, Lilly. Don't make me feed you." I remained still and my brother sighed again.

"Lilly listen to me..." he lifted my chin with his hand to make me look at him. "I know you're hurt but I promise you will get over it. Hearts may yet be broken - but not yours."

I gulped and shook my head. _If it only was true... _"You're just saying that because you're my brother." my voice was weaker than I intended.

"I'm saying it because it's true." he protested. "_And_ because I'm your brother. Every man who dares to break your heart would lose his life." He smiled at me and for one brief moment I wondered if he would actually do what he just said. Martha's voice resounded in my head - my brother seemed to be a feared man and suddenly I had no doubt he would stay true to his word. _I wonder how many lives he has already ended..._

"And you brother? What about your heart?" I wanted to know.

His expression saddened for one brief moment but he returned to smile at me before I could truly make it out. "Well some people say I don't have a heart."

"You're impossible." I hit his chest and he chuckled.

"Don't worry about my heart, sis. I'm perfectly fine as long as you're safe." He tweaked my nose playfully before he let go off me and leaned over to grab two of the little buns. Hope raised her head and sniffed at the bread in obvious interest. Viggo chuckled under his breath and pushed the little dragon slightly out of the way.

"And now eat, I know you'll love them." he said.

Viggo put one of the buns in my hand and shoved to other one in his own mouth. "Hm..Martha truly makes the best..."

I couldn't help the small smile that curved on my lips seeing my brother so content with something as simple as a bun of bread. Carefully I took a small bite and let the piece of bread melt on my tongue. It was really good, sweet somehow and though I still didn't feel any hunger I managed to eat the whole piece.

"How long did I sleep?"

"One whole day, my love."

"I wish I could get that drink again." I sighed.

Viggo narrowed his eyes at that. "No, you had enough sleep for now little flower." He yawned and leaned back on the bed. "Unlike others of us."

There was silence between us for several minutes till I decided to look at my brother. His eyes were closed. He truly must be exhausted. "Are you falling asleep on me brother?"

Viggo grunted. "No. No...I'm awake."

But soon enough he wasn't. I sighed again. Sleeping the whole day left me wide awake now and with my brother being asleep there was no comfort, no distraction to keep away the painful thoughts and memories that came flooding back into my mind. I clutched my arms around my body in an attempt to calm myself. No that won't do.

_"Shadow, will you please take me on a flight? I just want to feel free for one moment...please." _I pleaded, my eyes growing traitorously wet again. My heart ached, I just wanted to get away.

_"Alright, love. Let's leave Hope with your brother."_

Carefully not to wake him, I sneaked out of my room and Shadow followed me on my tracks. Soon enough we left the main entrance door behind us and started to walk down the path of our house.

It was a cold, clear night but something didn't feel right. I spun around as I heard a soft rustle behind a bush next to the house. My heartbeat sped up and Shadow growled lightly. But nothing.

I tried to shrug it off and continued to walk down the path when I was suddenly grabbed from behind, a hand covered my mouth to keep me from screaming and I started to panic. _No, no, he got me! He got me again!_

I tried to wriggle out of the grasp and kicked the attacker's shinbone.

"Ouch! Whoa Lilly, calm down! It's me."

_What? _The instant I was released I spun around to face...

"Hiccup?" I panted and trembled heavily in utter shock and stepped back from him. _What's going on here?_


	61. Chapter 60 - A moment of love and a new arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains an intimate part and is probably more explicit rated. If you feel triggered reading such things, then please skip down to Viggo's POV. 
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you do enjoy this story, you are so quiet. All your hits and kudos are very much appreciated and feedback is always very welcomed by me. :)

**Lilly's POV**

There he stood, his hair tousled, dark circles under his eyes and slightly trembling from the drenched clothes that clung to his body. I shook my head in disbelief, still panting. _Is my mind playing tricks on me?_

"Hiccup?" I breathed unable to wrap my mind around what was going on.

Hiccup reached out to touch me but I stepped out of his reach. I could see him swallow his disappointment and he let his arms drop to his sides. "Lilly...I'm back." he whispered.

Beside us Shadow and Toothless purred in joy to see each other again and started chasing each other in a playful manner. That shook me from my trance. _No I'm not dreaming, Hiccup really is here_. Suddenly the feeling of rage rushed through my veins. _How dare he! First he leaves without a word and now he shows up and pretends everything is fine? _I clenched my fists and bit the inside of my cheek in a vain attempt to keep calm, not noticing that I was already visibly trembling.

"Why!?" I wanted to shout at him but my voice sounded more like a mix between a sob and a whine.

Hiccup stepped closer to me, his hands raised. "Lilly I shouldn't have left you behind like this, I'm sorry..."

"So now you care?" I snapped, tears welling up in my eyes. "You didn't even bother to say goodbye! You left without a single word in the middle of the night! You knew how important it was to me, how much it meant to me! Say it Hiccup, am I such a burden to you?" I couldn't stand to look at him anymore and turned my back on him, not caring to hold back my tears anymore.

"No, you're not! Lilly, believe me I'm sorry...but that's why I returned...I just couldn't leave you like this!"

Hiccup touched my shoulder but I pushed his hand away as I spun around to face him again. "Well you didn't seem to care in the first place, otherwise you wouldn't have left!"

"You don't understand Lilly, I can explain!" Hiccup protested, getting desperate.

"I don't want to hear! Just leave me alone! Shadow!" I cried and spurted to the two black dragons who stared at us with wide eyes. "_Shadow take me away, far away, please!"_

_"No Lilly, you should really hear him out." _she replied.

_"We had a reason to go, let him explain." _Toothless walked up to me and pushed me gently towards Hiccup with a purr.

_"Fine, don't help me!" _I snapped and started to run away, back to the house not willing to hear with what kind of excuse Hiccup and Toothless came up with. My plan however didn't really work as I heard Hiccup's footsteps right behind me, chasing me.

"Lilly, stop!"

"No!"

Just as I was about to grab the door handle, I felt Hiccup's hands grabbing me by my waist, spinning me around and in the next instance I found myself caught between the cold stone wall and Hiccup's body pressing me to it, his hands on either side of my head.

"Hiccup, let go!" I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't move.

"No. I will not let you run away again. Lilly, listen to me." he insisted and I groaned in frustration. My heart was hammering in my chest, the cold dampness of his clothes leaked into mine and left me trembling. He was close, way too close. I could see every freckle on his face and when I finally met his gaze, I feared my knees would give in at the intensity in his eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed thickly. _Why are you playing around with me like this?_

"Lilly...I know I hurt you, I'm sorry..." he whispered and rested his forehead against mine. I let myself go slump, unable to fight his overwhelming presence. "I shouldn't have listened to Viggo." _What? What would my brother have to do with this?_

I snapped my eyes open. "Viggo? What did he say?"

"He caught me in his office copying the map into my notebook, he knew I was eager to find the island and he made me choose. Fly off without you or he would've taken the dragon eye from me and no one would fly at all. I made the wrong choice, I'm sorry Lilly." He rubbed his nose against mine causing my breath to hitch.

"What? No, no that's not true...he wouldn't lie to me." I whispered barely audible and shook my head in denial. _Or would he?_

Hiccup pulled slightly back and I could hardly bear the sadness in his eyes. "And you believe I would? Lilly, if I wanted to fly off without you, why would I even bother to come back?"

He was right. Everything he said made perfectly sense now and somehow it hurt even more this way. It was one thing to believe Hiccup considered me too weak to fly with him but to know that my own brother, who promised me I could go in the same night he sent Hiccup away, even threatened him to take away the dragon eye if he didn't leave me behind, that was almost too much for me to stomach. He must have known how much it would hurt me. How can he say my heart would not be broken if he's the one who initiated my heartbreak?

"But...why...why would he do that?" I sobbed.

Hiccup cupped my face in his hands, gently brushing my tears away with his thumb. "To keep you safe I am sure and because..." he paused for a second to meet my eyes. "...I think he's not so happy about us being together."

"I don't believe that."

"Lilly, what do you really know about your brother?"

"I..." but I couldn't say anymore. Hiccup was right, I didn't know very much at all about Viggo. I knew he loved me, I knew I was his little flower, but that's pretty much it. I didn't know why he would act the way he did. I bit my lip as Martha's words came back to my mind. My brother is a feared man after all. I have no idea what he's really capable of.

"Lilly, I will not leave without you again. I promise. I don't care what Viggo or anyone else says, I want to be with you." Hiccup's voice startled me from my thoughts and as soon as his pure green eyes met mine again I was completely lost. Slowly he leaned in and I couldn't suppress a faint whimper when his lips finally met mine. Now this was all too much. My heart drummed so fast I feared it would jump right out of my chest, tears were still running down my cheeks. The overwhelming feeling of having Hiccup gone and now back again combined with the anger I felt for my brother for lying to me left my head spinning in a carousel of emotions.

Carefully I brought my hands up and behind Hiccup's neck to pull him closer. His lips tasted salty and I could still smell the sea on him. I let out a quiet moan against his lips. _He smells like home, like my island._

Hiccup noticed my reaction and I could feel him grin into the kiss as he pressed me further against the wall.   
"Hiccup..." I mumbled against his mouth as we broke apart to catch our breath.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so wet?" I shivered against his damp clothes.

"There was a storm." he muttered and leaned forward to claim my lips again, but I pushed him gently backwards.

"You're cold."

"Freezing."

"Let's go inside, you need to warm up."

Hiccup looked concerned. "What about Viggo?"

I felt heat rush to my cheeks in anger at my brother. "Don't worry, he's fast asleep."   
I won't let him get between Hiccup and me again and there is nothing in the world he could do about it.

~~~~~~  
Hiccup was already in his room when I made my way back from the kitchen, a cup of warm yak milk in my hands. _I hope this will warm him up. _I came across the door to my room, where Viggo was still sleeping and for one moment the undeniable urge to slam that door open and spill the whole cup over his face overcame me. _I just don't understand why he would do this to me. _Closing my eyes I inhaled deeply to keep myself from waking him and scream into his face. As much as I wanted to, I wanted to be with Hiccup more right now. I continued to walk down the hall till I reached the room where Hiccup stayed in.

I opened the door to his room and noticed Hiccup had already lit a fire and splayed out his clothes in front of the fireplace to get them dry. He was sitting on his bed in his underpants and fumbled around with the dragon eye, but put it away as soon as he noticed me walking up to him. He smiled at me and I couldn't help but wonder how he looked exhausted but at the same time wide awake.

"Here." I handed him the cup and he took it with a grin.

"Thanks milady."

"Hiccup!" I warned him but he only chuckled.

The warmth of the fire filled the room and I sighed as I felt my own body heaten up again. I let myself drop onto the bed next to Hiccup and couldn't hold back a chuckle as I turned to look at him.

He gave me a flustered look. "What?"

"You've got a beard." I leaned in and let my finger trace along the white line of milk above Hiccup's upper lip.

"Oh." he laughed slightly and the look in his eyes changed to something I couldn't place at my touch. But I've seen it before, the night we were together before Viggo's fight with Asmund.

I didn't have much time to think about it as Hiccup tilted his forehead down to rest against mine while he sneaked one arm around my waist to pull me closer. His bare skin, his whole being, radiated heat from being so near the fire before and I closed my eyes, soaking in his warmth. A pleasant shudder ran down my spine as I felt Hiccup's breath against my lips for one brief moment before he closed the distance. The moment his lips touched mine I was utterly lost.

The kiss was slow and gentle, a mere press of lips that left butterflies dancing in my belly. I sighed happily into the kiss and Hiccup made sound that came deep from his throat at that. Before I could form another thought, I felt his tongue grazing my lips. I eagerly opened my mouth to grant him entrance, unable to hold back a soft moan as Hiccup started to leisurely explore my mouth. The feeling of butterflies in my core intensified. I had never realized just how sensitive the inside of the mouth could be. 

Hiccup's hand wandered tentatively across my back, pulling me closer. I whimpered softly against his lips as our lips moved against each other. It was heated, open-mouthed, needy. Hiccup shifted his position a little and that was when I felt it.

Something hard was pressing into my thigh and out of reflex I moved my leg slightly in an attempt to shove whatever it was aside. However as I slid against it Hiccup moved uneasily and let out a strangled groan. _Huh? _

Out of curiosity I shifted my leg again only to receive the same reaction of Hiccup, he even tried to twist his lower body away. Suddenly realization hit me of what was really poking me and all the things Astrid and Ruffnut told me rushed back into my mind. My heart skipped a beat, did I do this to him? Was it true? _I wonder if..._

Without breaking our kiss I let a hand trail down over Hiccup's chest and stomach, feeling his muscles quivering under my touch. He made a noise into my mouth as I ventured lower, eager to find out if my theory was true. Hiccup pulled back and stared at me with clouded eyes and blushed cheeks.

"Lilly what...what are you doing?" he sounded breathless.

"Try something." I muttered.

"Wha-...oh gods..." Hiccup's eyes fluttered closed as I reached between his legs, finding the growing bulge in his pants. He gasped and jumped a little in surprise when I let my hand run up and down over the fabric in curiosity. My eyes widened as I felt him react to my touch.

"It just moved!" I blurted out and Hiccup's cheeks grew an even darker shade of pink. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me from rubbing over his pants.

"Lilly...stop." he breathed out.

"Why? You don't like it?" I asked, feeling taken aback but Hiccup shook his head.

"What...no...I do...gods I really do...but I..." he locked his eyes with mine and inhaled deeply. "I don't trust myself and where this will lead us...we shouldn't..."

Biting my lower lip I drew my hand back and lowered my gaze as I felt tears well up behind my eyes. "So you don't want me..." I whispered.

Hiccup's hand cupped my cheek and I lifted my gaze to look into his eyes. For a moment I found myself struck by the pure love and affection shimmering in his green eyes. "Of course I want you Lilly, by Thor you don't even know how much...it's just, I don't want you to regret this..."

I laughed a little at this and leaned in to brush my lips against Hiccup's. "I would never regret you, Hiccup. I thought I lost you and now you're back." I raised my hand to cup Hiccup's cheek and he leaned into the touch. "I want to be with you, tonight. I want to know what it's like."

Hiccup gulped but nodded his head, the blush on his face still lingering. "O-okay...but we can stop any time, just tell me.." 

"Don't worry so much Hiccup." I leaned in and our lips met again. Since my talk with Ruffnut and Astrid I've been extremely curious about this thing between a man and a woman and I was more then eager to find out if what they told me was true. Why would I ever want to stop?

My hand landed between his legs once again and curious as to how Hiccup would react, I squeezed gently. Hiccup pulled out of the kiss to gasp and sigh as I continued doing this. But still, it wasn't enough to sate my curiosity. I brought my hand up to the waistband of his pants, hooked my fingers under the fabric. His breath hitched at this causing my heart to pound faster. "I want to see you." I whispered locking my eyes with Hiccup's and taking another shaky breath, Hiccup lifted his hips to help me lower his underpants down to his knees, revealing his erection to me.

My eyes widened at the sight of it. Somehow it looked...odd and to be honest bigger than I expected it to be. _And this is supposed to go inside me at some point? _Hiccup blushed madly and for a moment I didn't know what to do.

But then I remembered what Ruffnut had told me I should do. Swallowing thickly I wrapped my now trembling fingers around his length. _I can do that. _

Hiccup shuddered and inhaled sharply. I could feel his pulse in my hand and somehow it only increased the feeling of heat in my core. Trying to ignore my heart pounding in my chest, I experimentally began to move my hand up and down, then up and down again, repeating the motion with deliberate slowness as I figured him out.

"Oh gods...Lilly..." Hiccup moaned and bucked his hips into my touch, startling me a little.

"Am I doing it right?" I asked, my voice growing husky.

"Yes..._mmh_" he uttered rather breathless.

Hiccup closed his eyes and began to breathe heavily as I continued to stroke him at a slow pace. His mouth fell open with a moan when my thumb brushed over the head of his erection and the sound of it made me feel even hotter. It confused and fascinated me at the same time.

Completely mesmerized by what I was doing to Hiccup, I didn't notice him shift a little till I felt his hands cupping my face once more. I looked up and now it was my turn to gasp as Hiccup kissed me with a passion that left me feeling positively lightheaded. I wanted more of him.

Letting go of his length, I brought my hands back up around his neck, pulling him closer. Hiccup carefully pushed me onto my back and settled himself on top of me. I moaned as he kissed down my jaw to my neck and arched back into the pillow to give him better access. Hiccup was not hesitant anymore, he kissed and nipped hungrily at my sensitive skin. I cried out and bucked my hips up to grind against Hiccup's hardness, eliciting a gasp from him. I felt lost in all the pleasure his kisses alone brought me. How could this ever get better?

"I love your lips Hiccup." I breathed as I let my hands run through his soft hair. I could feel him smile against my neck as his hands found the hem of my tunic, slowly lifting it up.

"Uhm...can I?" he lifted his head to give me a questioning look.

I nodded eagerly and helped him lift the tunic above my head, tossing the garment aside without a care in the world.

Hiccup stared at me for a while with wide eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly to match his breathing and I was in no better condition. My heart was racing and the intensity in his gaze left me squirm in anticipation. "Hiccup..."

"Shh..." he leaned down to attack my lips once more, his left hand gently gliding up my side to my breast. He cupped it with his hand, massaging it before his quivering fingers found my nipple. He pinched it lightly and I gasped into his mouth at the sensation it caused. Never have I felt anything like this before, it was like shockwaves rushing through my veins down to my lower belly.

Hiccup lifted his head with a questioning look. "That feels good." I reassured him and watched in a daze as Hiccup started to kiss my neck again, moving down to my breasts.

"_Oh_..." I arched my back with a moan as I felt the hot and wet sensation of his tongue lapping at my other nipple before he started to suckle it gently while his fingers still played with the other one.

Soon I was lost in his touch, his scent, lost in the feel of him. His body felt so hot against mine, so hot and wonderful and I loved it.

I let my hands run through his hair, scratching his scalp with my nails and he groaned against my skin sending shivers down my spine.

Hiccup finally continued to leisurely kiss his way down my body to my navel and dipped his tongue in. I couldn't suppress a giggle. "That tickles." I sighed out.

Hiccup chuckled but didn't stop there, his lips traveled even lower till I felt his fingers hook into the rim of my pants, making me burn with anticipation.

He gave me another questioning look and I simply nodded eagerly as he started to drag my pants down till they too were abandoned to the floor.

Hiccup kneeled between my legs and let his gaze trail up and down my body, breathing heavily. "You're so beautiful Lilly." he whispered and lined himself up to kiss me again while his hand traveled down, caressing my hips before he let it slip between my legs. Hiccup moaned into the kiss as I felt his fingers glide between my folds and then he touched _something_ that sent another shockwave of pleasure through my body.

"Hiccup!" I nearly jumped off the bed in surprise.

His eyes widened at my reaction and he quickly drew his hand away. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head and answered quite breathlessly. "N-no...it was good...do it again...please."

Knowing he did something good made Hiccup grin as he brought his hand down on me again and let his finger brush over the spot again. "Like this?" he asked huskily.

I arched my head back into the pillow and opened my mouth to say something, tell him that _yes just like that_, but nothing but a breathless cry escaped my lips. _What by the gods is that? _

Hiccup continued to rub his fingers over that particularly sensitive part of me, burning pleasure into my veins. My mouth dropped open with a moan as the pleasure kept building and I realized it was not enough. I wanted more, wanted him to go harder and faster but he just kept at this agonizingly slow pace.

Suddenly his fingers slipped further down and I cried out as I felt one finger push inside of me. Hiccup leaned down and buried his face into the crook of my neck as he continued to pump in and out of me. His hot breath against my neck tickled. I could feel sweat dripping from his forehead and he groaned almost simultaneously with me as he kept pushing.

I grabbed hold onto the fur blankets on the bed as the sensations slowly overtook me, leaving me in a quivering state of mind.

**Hiccup's POV**

I pressed my nose against Lilly's neck inhaling her alluring scent as she quivered beneath my touch. Feeling her sweet wetness around my finger and hearing her soft whimpers left me so profoundly aroused that I ached. Slowly I added another finger and could feel Lilly tensing up. I lifted my head and kissed her again.

Lilly kissed back ravenously with a passionate need as I brought my thumb back to the point that seemed to drive her crazy.

She writhed beneath me and I moved my lips to cover her sweaty face with kisses before I kissed my way back down her neck to her right breast. There was not one inch of her body I had not dreamed about kissing and Lilly being so willing to discover this with me proved to be even better than any fantasy I had.

I moaned against the tender flesh of her breast as I took her nipple into my mouth once again and continued to thrust into her, all the while moving my thumb in circles over that little nub till her whole body tensed up, her back arched and she cried out. "Hi- Hicc-"

Once it was finished, she lay there panting and the way she looked at me with her bright blue eyes was almost enough to let me come undone.

"Are you okay?" I breathed rubbing my nose on hers.

"Y-yes...this is wonderful Hiccup..." she sighed and I kissed her forehead, hardly able to suppress a chuckle.

I groaned when I felt her hands glide down my sides and propped myself up on my elbows. Then her sweet fingers wrapped around me again and she stroked me at an agonizing slow pace. I let out a breathless moan, my body seemingly not mine to control anymore as I desperately bucked into her touch, begging for more friction. Oh how much I wanted her...all of her.

A pleasant shudder ran down my spine at the thought of entering her welcoming hotness but I would do nothing against her will. "Lilly, look at me." Her eyes met mine and she let go of me. I instantly mourned the loss of contact. "We don't have to..."

"No..." she shook her head and brought one hand to my cheek, gently stroking it. "I want to do this...I want you, all of you...please Hiccup."

That was all I needed. I closed my eyes and pressed my face against her palm. "It will hurt a bit at first, but I'll be gentle." I whispered.

"I'm ready." Lilly smiled softly and pressed a kiss to my cheek. Careful not to hurt her more than necessary I pressed into her at a slow pace. I could feel Lilly tensing up around me and it was already almost too much for me to bear. She let out a pained whimper as I pushed further and the deeper I sank, the harder it was to keep control over my own body. Gods she was so tight I feared I would harm her if I went too fast. Lilly's expression showed discomfort and even pain and I quickly caught her lips into a loving kiss to distract her as I drove the rest of the way into her in one swift motion. I was now fully sheathed in her, up to the hilt.

"Oh gods..." I mumbled into the kiss. It felt so good that I nearly collapsed on her chest.

Lilly cried out, yanking her head away from my lips and bringing up all my willpower I stayed still, letting her pain ease away. I felt her tears against her cheeks and lifted my head to look down at her. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No Hiccup, I'm okay now." She took a deep breath and as if to show me she was serious she wriggled her hips a little. I let out a groan at the sensation and started to roll my hips as I set up a slow and gentle rhythm.

Now this was Valhalla. Lilly was wrapped all around me, she was everything I could think about. The feeling of her clenching around me was driving me insane. I could hear her whimper beneath me and clenched my eyes tightly shut from the overwhelming pleasure she gave me.

"Am I hurting you, Hiccup?" I opened my eyes again to see the worried look on her face and quickly bent down to kiss her cheek.

"What...no...no you're not hurting me. You're giving me the greatest pleasure." I panted and she smiled. _Oh gods, don't smile like that... _I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, sliding my tongue eagerly into her mouth as I picked up the pace. Lilly wrapped her legs around my waist allowing me to go deeper and moaned against my lips. This was just too good.

She broke the kiss and lifted her gaze to meet my eyes. Oh gods, she looked absolutely ravishing, her bright blue eyes clouded with desire, cheeks flushed red and lips parted to release the sweetest sounds. I shuddered as I felt my climax building at the back of my spine. I continued thrusting until I couldn't take it anymore, my movements becoming almost frantic.

"Lilly...I...oh gods...I'm gonna come..." I panted and Lilly, unable to speak, only nodded and clung harder to me.

With a cry I spilled myself inside her as the white hot pleasure left me seeing stars and I collapsed against her chest. We were both breathing heavily and I felt utterly content but exhausted. Suddenly I heard Lilly laugh and lifted my head to look at her. "Wha...what's so funny?" I was still panting.

"Astrid and Ruffnut were right, I like that. I think I like that very much." she breathed.

"What...uh nevermind, I don't even want to know what you were talking about." I rubbed my nose against hers and slid out of her, cuddling Lilly into my arms. She felt so warm and perfect and I would never leave her alone again, that I knew. "I love you Lilly." I whispered into her ear. She turned to look at me and I could see a tiny tear slip from the corner of her eye. "And I love you, Hiccup." Then she did something unexpected. She slid her hand down and I blushed madly as I realized what she was rubbing between her fingers.

"You made a mess, Hiccup. I'm all sticky." she laughed. _Oh this girl is going to kill me..._

"Uh that's actually supposed to happen, Lilly." I grumbled, feeling embarrassed.

"Oh." she laughed again and cuddled closer, burying her nose into the crook of my neck and sighed. But there was still something that made me worried.

"What about Viggo? He'll kill me if he finds us like this."

Her face hardened almost instantly. "Don't worry about my brother, he has no voice in the matter. You have no idea how mad I am at him."

**Viggo's POV** ** (early morning hours while Lilly and Hiccup are asleep)**

I awoke with a start to the feeling of something slick and hot on my face. Snapping my eyes open I came face to face with the little night fury who was standing on my chest and licking my face. I groaned in annoyance and shoved the little reptile off of me. _What's going on? _Blinking several times I realized I was still in Lilly's room. _Have I fallen asleep here? _

Expecting to find my little sister on the other side of the bed I turned my head but...nothing. She was not here. Instantly I shot to my feet and spurted out of her room.

"Lilly!?" I called out for her in the hallway but got no response. _Where is she? How could I just have fallen asleep when she needed comfort? _I ran down the stairs and out of the house, there are only a few places she would go on this island.

The port that's were I was going to look first, maybe she's with Jali. I paced down the street to the shore in anticipation to find her when another sight caught my eye. Reaching the main gangplank I stopped dead in my tracks. A foreign but yet so familiar ship lay at anchor a few feet away. The banner of a setting sun behind a mountain and an eagle flying in front of it was blowing in the cold morning breeze. Solsteinn. _They're here. _

I inhaled deeply and turned to see Magnus running up to me. "Magnus! Why have I not been informed that our guests have arrived?" 

"I beg you pardon Sir, but I couldn't find you. They just arrived an hour ago."

I brought my hand in front of my face for one brief moment. It was my fault falling asleep in my sisters bed after all. "Very well then. Let's bid our guests welcome, shall we?" I said and gestured to the ship but Magnus didn't move. He kneaded his fingers nervously increasing the bad feeling in my stomach.

"I'm sorry Sir, but they wouldn't wait any longer. I tried to stop them but they insisted to have their own look at the situation on our island."

I groaned in annoyance. "Where are they now Magnus?"

"They made their way up to the great hall, they seemed very interested in our new way of living with the dragons."

"Well of course they are." I grumbled as I started to head back into the town when something else came to my mind. "Magnus, another question. Have you seen my sister?"

Magnus shook his head. "No Sir, not today. But I've seen the other night fury, the one the son of Stoick the Vast used to ride strolling around your house this morning."

I narrowed my eyes as anger rushed through my body. So he returned? I couldn't deny I was disappointed, I presumed the boy would be cleverer than that. Another thing I need to take care of again.

"Unwise, Hiccup." I growled as I walked up the street, looking for the guests of the island Solsteinn.

"I wondered if it was true."

The sound of _that_ voice left me frozen in my tracks just as I reached the market place.

"The great, infamous dragon hunter Viggo Grimborn - now a friend of all dragons."

I spun around and my heart did a leap as the sight of a black haired woman hit me. There she was, sitting on top of a wooden barrel and leisurely playing with a small ruby set dagger. Her olive skin was a stark contrast to the other citizens and her lips curled into a mischievous grin as she regarded me. "It is said that you changed your whole way of living just because of a girl. I will be honest, I laughed when I first heard it but here I stand to see it's true. And now you need the help of my tribe to get you through the winter - all because of your change of heart. But it must have been worth it, right? There's no other way you would have ever asked us for help. Not after all that's been."

"Eira..." I breathed as she got up and approached me stopping only inches apart. Her olive green eyes pierced right into my soul. 

"Hello Viggo...have you missed me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how do you think Viggo will react if he finds out about Hiccup and Lilly? 
> 
> And what are your thoughts on Eira?


	62. Chapter 61 - Eira

**Lilly's POV**

Rays of bright sunlight casted through the window and I blinked a few times to help my eyes adjust to the illumination directed at our entangled bodies. I spent almost the whole night listening to Hiccup's heartbeat and his light snores. I couldn't sleep because of the drink Nanna gave me before, but lying here awake next to Hiccup was just fine. He fell asleep pretty fast last night but who could blame him? He must have been utterly exhausted from the flight and...

Remembering what happened last night made me smile and I lifted my head to gaze at Hiccup's face. My insides still stung a little but what we did felt so natural and good and left me feeling at peace for the moment, that I didn't mind at all. I bit my lower lip and traced his chin with one finger up to his nose, feeling the stubble he started to grow. Hiccup's nose twitched and he waved one hand to his face, probably trying to shoo a fly away. I giggled and placed a kiss on his nose before I moved down to his lips.

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open and I pulled away, propping myself up on his chest. He smiled and let a hand run through my hair. "Hey. You're already up?" he whispered.

"Yes. I couldn't sleep."

"At all?" he looked at me concerned. "How do you feel?"

"I'm good as long as I'm with you." I leaned up and kissed him again but Hiccup pulled away rather quickly.

"I mean about Viggo."

I sighed and rolled onto my back beside him, anger rising in my stomach. I still couldn't wrap my mind around why my brother, who loved me, would lie to me without shame. "Don't ask me this, I can't even put into words how mad I am at him."

"What he did was wrong, but he wanted to keep you safe. You have to give him that."

"By lying to me and making false promises?" my voice rose in anger and I turned my head to meet Hiccup's eyes again. I gulped back a lump building in my throat. I suddenly mourned the happy, peaceful life I spent on my island. "I feel that I just don't belong here, Hiccup. The only thing that made this place feel somehow like home was Viggo, but now I'm not even sure about that. How can I trust him when lying to me is so easy for him, I mean what else is he hiding from me?"

Hiccup sighed and pulled me closer. "I don't know Lilly. I've never met someone like your brother before. He seems inscrutable sometimes. But what I do know is that he will not keep me from doing this anymore." He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine in a small kiss. I sighed and let my hands run through Hiccup's hair when we pulled apart. He looked at me with so much affection that I feared my heart would stop. Right then I knew that I was helpless in love with him. "I wish we could stay in this bed forever." I whispered. When I'm with him, I manage to forget and that's what I craved the most - to forget.

Hiccup grinned and leaned down again. "Well no one says we can't stay a little longer." He bent down to claim my lips once more and soon I found myself beneath Hiccup again. That's when we heard a voice outside of the room.

"Toothless!? Is that you boy? Is Hiccup in there?"

The sound of the door banging open caused Hiccup to jump off of me, his face turning red when we came face to face with Stoick who was still holding the door handle with one hand and stared at us flabbergasted. "Ooh...I'm sorry..."

"Dad!" Hiccup cried out. "Ever heard of knocking!?"

Stoick cleared his throat and pointed to the door where a very curious black dragon was now strolling into the room and up to the bed, sniffing Hiccup in obvious interest. "Not now, bud." Hiccup shoved Toothless' snout away and I could hear the dragon laugh.

"Uh...I saw Toothless outside your room and thought you were back...well you are...I should leave now..." Stoick scratched his beard and started to turn around to leave but stopped in his tracks just as he was about to close the door. He stuck his head in the door again and grinned. "If you're working on making me a grandfather, you better intend to marry this girl, son."

"DAD! Get out!" Hiccup exclaimed and slumped back onto the bed, covering his face with his hands. I could hear Stoick's roaring laughter echo through the halls as he walked away.

**Viggo's POV**

Words left me. Before me stood the reason I dreaded writing to Solsteinn. I wanted to say something, but couldn't will my lips to move and I hated myself for it. Such weakness. 

Eira smirked up at me while she put her dagger back into its sheath. "Oh, I never thought that day would come. The great Viggo Grimborn, lost for words?" she almost purred in a mocking tone and tilted her head a little. "Come on there must be something you got to say?"

I inhaled deeply and took in her sight. Her long black hair hang loose aside from two thin braids on either side of her head, she wore a green long armed tunic along with a broad brown leather belt and a dark brown cape around her shoulders. Her eyes glistened with mischief as she grinned at me.

Finally I managed to open my mouth again. "What are you doing here?" my voice sounded breathless and I mentally slapped myself for that.

Eira laughed and mimicked my voice. "What are you doing here?" She waved a finger in front of my face. "Is that all you got? You invited me. Remember?"

"I am most certain, that I have invited the chief." I corrected her, regaining my composure. My face turned back to the same emotionless mask I always wore. _She must not see me weak_.

"Well that's a shame." she shrugged and faked a sigh. "But you see Robert has other obligations to fulfill at the moment so I fear you will have to make do with me. He trusts my judgment and will accept my decision in this case."

I inwardly groaned, having Eira around was the last thing I wanted but it seemed there wasn't much I could do about it. "A shame indeed, but let's not waste precious time. Gather your men and bring them to the Great Hall, we shall discuss our terms there."

Eira laughed again and waved her hand a little. "I told my guards to get themselves something to drink and enjoy some free time. We don't need them to negotiate and I would rather talk to you in private." she turned to walk down the path and called "No need to lead me, I still remember the way to your house."

I growled under my breath as I watched her stroll down the street. The way she moved, her whole being reminded me a lot of a cat. Out of all people that could have arrived on my island it must have been her. _The gods must hate me... _

I followed her a few feet behind when one of my guards crossed my way. I grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him. "Keep an eye on those visitors from Solsteinn. I expect to be informed about their every move."

"Yes, Sir."

I nodded him off and continued to follow Eira back to my house, catching up with her. Soon enough we entered the main hall and I gestured her to my office when I heard a roaring laugh coming from upstairs followed by heavy footsteps trampling down the staircase. It was Stoick who was now stepping up to me at a quick pace. He seemed to be over the top about something. I raised one eyebrow in confusion when Stoick stopped in front of me and put both of his big hands on my shoulders. 

"Viggo, good to see you! Just imagine how great it would be, our both tribes, former enemies and now allies become one - as a family."

"Would you please tell me what you are talking about?" I said and shoved Stoick's hands off of my shoulders, not liking how it looked like he had power over me, especially in front of Eira.

Stoick chuckled again, unimpressed by my move and patted my shoulder again before he walked off to leave the house. "You're sister would make a lovely bride. Excuse me, I need to find Valka."

I inwardly cringed at his last words. _What is he talking about? Hiccup didn't ask Lilly to marry him, or did he? _I clenched my fists as I felt anger boiling up in my veins and stared upstairs where Stoick appeared a few moments ago. He must have seen them. My stomach twisted at the sudden thought of Hiccup touching _my_ little sister. I could hardly fight the urge to run up those stairs and check what was going on myself and I surely would've done that if it wasn't for Eira whose voice tore me from my thoughts.

"Your sister is alive?" she lifted one eyebrow and mocked. "Oh don't tell me after all those years you finally managed to find your heart, Viggo. Is she the girl that made you change your whole way of life?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "This is none of your concern. I would truly appreciate if we could stick to the business." I continued to lead her down the hall and gestured her to take a seat as we entered my office, but Eira was relentless.

"I'm curious - what does Ryker say to all of this?"

"It pains me to say that my brother is no longer with us." I said and sat down behind my desk, resting my elbows on the wood and folding my hands in front of me. For a moment the smug expression on her face fell and she let herself drop into the chair on the other side of my desk. 

"I'm really sorry to hear that." her voice sounded small now.

I snorted. "Oh I have no doubt you are."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned. I knew she got the hint but she decided to remain indifferent. "How?" she asked.

"That again my dear Eira, is none of your concern. All I can say is that it is unwise to mess around with a man like Drago Bludvist."

Eira's eyes widened a little at the mention of the warlord, but she tried to quickly hide it and her expression hardened again. Her small reaction however did not go unnoticed by me.

"Do you know this man?" I inquired and narrowed my eyes ever so slightly.

Eira shrugged. "I've heard of him. You want Robert to help you fight against him."

I couldn't ignore the feeling that she was hiding something but decided to not push further, not now that she finally got down to business. This was more important now. "Drago is the most ruthless opponent I ever came in contact with, he would not spare a single life if he manages to get past our defenses. I would indeed appreciate if your brother would send us several ships of his armada and provide us with supplies to get my people through the winter. Of course I am willing to pay back adequately as soon as we are able to rebuild our trading force. We are still in progress to change our ways of production. And it would be my pleasure to rebuild our alliance with the island of Solsteinn. An alliance that our grandfathers built and held dearly for many years."

"Till the day you came along and destroyed it." she sneered. "I didn't forget and neither did my brother."

"You always knew what to expect of me. I told you that I would never be the man you wished me to be. Still, you refused to believe what is true. So who proves to be the fool?" 

Eira glared at me and I continued in a softer voice. I didn't want to ruin our negotiation. "But still here you are. Why did you answer my request if it's unthinkable for you?" I looked up to meet her eyes. She tried her best to keep her mask up and I had to suppress a chuckle. _You did learn well_ _indeed. _"Maybe it is time to let bygones be bygones and dare to make a new start."

Eira shifted in her seat and stared at me intently but just as she was about to speak up again, the door burst open. I lifted my gaze in annoyance. _Who is disturbing us now?_ But my anger faded immediately when my eyes fell on Lilly.

She stormed into the office, her tousled hair flying behind her and her eyes sparkled with fury. I knitted my brows at the sight of her and inhaled deeply, knowing very well what was about to happen now. _She talked to Hiccup. _

Lilly came to a halt in front of my desk and was about to say something when she noticed Eira. She stared at her for a few moments with wide eyes while Eira eyed Lilly up and down with her eyebrows raised. That was a moment I could use. Raising my hands in a defensive manner I got up and walked around the desk.

"Lilly, whatever Hiccup told you, you must know that I wanted to keep you safe more than anything in the world and he agreed." I began and Lilly's eyes snapped back to meet mine.

"He agreed because you left him no choice! I can't believe you did this to me! You knew how it would break my heart! Do you think it's righteous to break my heart just to keep me here!?" she yelled.

"I would do anything if it meant that you are safe." I replied truthfully in a calm tone though it pained me to see her so enraged with me.

Lilly snorted. "So you would even lie to me?! Hiccup was right, I have no idea who you are, brother! But you know what? You will no longer keep me away from him and force me to stay here!"

"Oh no - you will not leave this island and this is my last word! Here is your home, your tribe where you belong!"

"No, this is _your_ tribe! I don't fit in here, I tried but I just don't! I belong to my dragons!"

I tried my best to keep calm but couldn't fight the feeling of rage much longer. _How can she talk like that? After all I've done for her, after all it cost us! _"I changed everything for you, Lilly! For you and your dragons so that you can live here with us and be happy! Can you even imagine how much it cost me? Our tribe will hardly make it through the winter! Ryker is dead because of my decision!" I regretted the last words the second they slipped from my tongue.

Lilly's eyes grew wide and she took a few steps back, I could see her shaking and her eyes welled up with tears. "So you believe it was my fault that he died..."

"Lilly...no I didn't mean it..." I tried to pull her into a hug but she slapped my hands away.

"Sure you did! Don't touch me! Everything is my fault, they're all dead because of me!" she screamed and cried hysterically now.

"Lilly...calm down please..." I grew desperate but Lilly kept backing away and ran from the room. I was about to follow her when Eira's voice startled me. For a moment I had completely forgotten that she was still here.

"Oh my...so this is your sister? The sister you told me who was your heart? Well I guess you just lost it." she sneered and got up. "I'll come back to you with my answer later. There's a lot I have to think about."   
She gave me one last smirk and left me alone.

I was desperate and furious at the same time. _How could I've been so stupid!?_ I turned back to my desk and slammed the Maces and Talons board to the ground. _Everything seems to be falling apart_. I let myself slump into my chair and buried my face in my hands with a frustrated groan.

"Chief Grimborn?"

Reluctantly I lifted my gaze to find Martha standing in the door, a steaming cup in her hands. I managed to lift myself up and tried to regain my composure. "How can I help you, Martha?"

Martha shifted from one foot to the other before she came closer. "I...I didn't mean to spy on you but I heard you fighting with Lilly and I thought you might need this." She put a cup of herbal tea on my desk.

I sighed and met her gaze. "I guess it was hard to miss, wasn't it?" I turned my attention to the cup. "I have to thank you Martha, for always taking care."

I watched her blush a little and chuckled under my breath.

"I just want you to be happy, Sir."

"Oh Martha, my dear, I appreciate your wish but I am very much afraid the name Grimborn and happiness does not coincide."

**Astrid's POV**

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" I asked, turning to Fishlegs who was flying right behind me.

"Well...I hope so." Fishlegs replied with a shrug.

"What do you mean, you hope? We're flying for hours now and you _hope _you know the way?! Snotlout exclaimed and I shot him a glare.

"Hey I've only seen the map two or three times! I try my best to remember." Fishlegs snapped back.

I rolled my eyes. "Guys will you please stop. We need to find Hiccup! What if something has happened to him?"

"Well he shouldn't have run off like this in the first place!" Snotlout complained again.

"But it was our fault." I retorted. "We shouldn't have been so harsh."

"Uh...as much as I enjoy listening to your arguing mes chères amies, but could we just take a moment to notice the strange fog we're flying right into?" Tuffnut called to us and I brought my gaze back to the horizon. He was right, a few feet away from us a huge wall of white mist was building and continually getting thicker and slowly creeping closer to us.

"Oh Thor, what is that?" Fishlegs gasped and I sensed Stormfly getting nervous. She shifted her head from one side to the other and growled lightly.

I leaned forward and stroked the smooth scales on her head. "Hey girl, are you alright? What's wrong?" She growled again, louder this time and the other dragons were in no better condition. Hookfang was shaking his head so hard that Snotlout almost lost his balance.

"Hookfang! Calm down! What's wrong with you?" he yelled.

Then we all heard it. A sound that sounded like a horrid mixture between a screech and a growl. The flapping of wings could be heard and from the sound of it, they must belong to a big creature.

A black shadow appeared in the distance but drew closer to us at an incredible speed.

"Oh by Odin's beard, what is that?"


	63. Chapter 62 - The Dragon

**Astrid's POV**

Another roar, rumbling like thunder, filled the air and I felt a shiver run down my spine as the foreign dragon kept shooting towards us. Its large leathery wings sliced through the fog like a knife through yak butter and I gasped when I finally caught sight of it as a whole. It was a dragon I never had seen before, slightly bigger than Hookfang and its smooth scales shimmered like obsidian with sparks of dark blue wherever a ray of sunlight would touch the dragons body. I could see three sharp claws, on top of both of its wings and a row of spines running down from the dragon's neck to its fan-like tail. It had two black horns protruding from its head and showed its razor-sharp teeth as the dragon roared again. Whatever this dragon was, it seemed to be furious.

"Oh Thor, what is this?!" Snotlout cried out, his eyes growing wide while he tried to keep his balance on a still very upset Hookfang.

Our dragons growled in response to the wild dragon's roar and I could feel Stormfly tensing up beneath me.

"I think we just discovered a new dragon, it looks amazing..." Fishlegs exclaimed.

"We should be careful, it looks aggressive!" I retorted and felt adrenaline rush through my veins as the dragon stopped in the middle of the air a few feet away from us, its wings whirling the fog around it and its big nostrils vibrated as it was sniffing the air, turning its head from one side to the other as if it was searching for something. That was strange, we were right in front of it.

There was something odd about this dragon. I couldn't place it but it caused shivers to run down my spine. "What are you waiting for?" I murmured more to myself than to the dragon but the moment the words slipped from my tongue the dragon's head snapped into my direction and I gasped as I stared straight into its eyes. They were light grey but I could see no pupil, it was like the fog that surrounded us was clouding the dragon's eyes too.

I was so paralyzed by the sight of the dragon that I didn't realize right away that it was charging forward, shooting a blast of orange flames at us.

"Look out, Astrid!" Ruff called out to me as Stormfly dodged the dragon's attack and shot her spines in the dragon's direction. The dragon roared and shook its head violently as one spine grazed its left leg. Almost instantly the dragon shot forward with a furious screech and fired around in blind rage without really aiming at one of us. I shook my head in confusion. _What's wrong with this dragon?_

"Woah, he seems really upset!" Fishlegs yelled, drawing the dragon's attention to him almost immediately. Meatlug managed to dodge the attack and I saw Barf and Belch charging at the dragon and circling it with their gas.

"You like to play with fire? Than take this in!" Tuffnut yelled. A spark and the dragon was engulfed in flames for a brief moment, but as soon as they faded away it was chasing after Ruff and Tuff and trying to hit them with its flames. There was no possible way to make this dragon even more furious. _This is pointless, we need to get rid of it._

"Guys, stop! We don't want to hurt this dragon!" I called.

"Oh and what about it hurting us?! That's okay for you?!" Snotlout exclaimed.

"It's just being territorial, Snotlout! We are the intruders here!" Fishlegs retorted.

"Maybe we can shake it off in the fog, I have the feeling this dragon can't see very well! Just stick together and try to be quiet! I'll distract it, come on girl!" I shouted, causing the dragon to turn and chase after me. Stormfly torpedoed through the fog, the dragon however was not as easy to cast off as I thought. It was almost like it could sense our every movement. I turned my head to see its black form getting closer. Then the fog lifted and I spotted an island right below us. _Maybe this will work. _

"Okay Stormfly, bring us down. Maybe we can shake the dragon off if we fly through the trees, he's bigger than us." I petted Stormfly's head and she purred in agreement as she dove down, heading for the forest that lay before us. Stormfly maneuvered through the trees with great agility and it didn't take long till I heard a loud cracking sound along with a furious screech.

I turned my head to see the dragon had crashed right into the trees, knocking them down in the process and was now struggling to get to its feet again.

Stormfly landed a few feet away and I hopped off her back when I noticed the others flying towards us and landing at our side. Another growl of the dragon drew my attention back to it and I heard Fishlegs gasp beside me as we watched the dragon get to its feet, only to bump into the next tree. The dragon growled in obvious distress and started to shoot flames at the surrounding trees. Our presence seemingly forgotten for the moment.

"You're right, Astrid." Fishlegs whispered. "This dragon...it is blind. Maybe that's why he's so aggressive."

I nodded and bit my lower lip. "Poor guy, I wonder what happened to him."

"Do you think this was the work of dragon hunters?"

"I don't know Fishlegs, but..." I began but was interrupted by an overly excited Tuffnut.

"Guys, just look at this place! It's amazing!" he cried out and I rolled my eyes in annoyance as the dragon stilled in its movements and turned its head towards us, sniffing the air again before it lunged forward with a low growl.

"Well done, you muttonhead! Now he knows where we are!" Snotlout yelled.

Stormfly jumped in front of me in a defensive position with a threatening growl and so did the other dragons in order to protect us. But what happened next came completely unexpected.

Halfway towards us the black dragon stopped dead in its tracks and lifted its head up to the sky as if it was hearing something that we couldn't. With a final roar in our direction the dragon spread its wings and took off into the sky.

"What the hel..." Snotlout breathed, bringing to words what we all were thinking.

We stared after the black creature until it was nothing but a black dot in the distance. I could hear our dragons purr as if they wondered too what just had happened and let my gaze wander around. The trees that surrounded us looked nothing like any plant I've seen before and a sweet, exotic smell filled the air.

That's when realization hit me. "We made it, I think we just found the sapphire island." I breathed. 

"Now let's find Hiccup!"


	64. Chapter 63 - Nanna's lesson

**Lilly's POV**

_My fault. Everything is my fault, even my own brother believes that. All because I can talk to dragons...why, why me?_

Tears blinded me as I turned, slamming the entrance door behind me and ran as quickly as my legs could carry me, bolting down the path that leads to the Grimborn house like I could escape my dark thoughts if I would only run fast enough, quickening my pace to an all out sprint. I had no idea where I was heading, all I knew was that I wanted to get as far away as possible, that I needed to keep running. Not stopping for anything. Distance, that's all that mattered.

I felt the painful sting of the pebbles on my bare feet, but I didn't care. The image of grandfather and Ryker being murdered rushed through my mind again and with it came a pang of guilt, I felt like I would suffocate under the weight of it. _All because of me. _And so I ran, on and on, ignoring the calls of Valka and Stoick as I crossed their path. I had no time now, I couldn't stop - I couldn't.

Soon enough I left the town behind me and spurted into the forest, till my legs gave in. With a cry I fell face forward onto the earth and wheezed for air. The sound of my hammering heart ridiculously loud in my ears. Sobbing, I pushed myself off the ground and stumbled forward, my arms wrapped around my stomach - it stung. But I needed to get further away. I followed a path that led me uphill along a rapidly flowing stream and soon the forest thinned and I stepped out onto a clearing. Still out of breath I let my gaze wander around. I never went this far away from the village before and now the only sound I could hear was my own ragged breathing, the chirping of birds and the squeaking sound of a few terrible terrors in the distance. I was completely alone, or so I thought. Until a voice startled me.

"Ah Lilly, how nice of you to come and help me."

I spun around to come face to face with Nanna, who was crouching in the grass next to two woven baskets and obviously collecting something. She got up from her position and eyed me up and down, her gaze lingering a little longer on my bare feet. I must've looked like a mess for I could see her frown before she clicked her tongue and shoved one of the baskets into my hands.

It took me several seconds to realize what was going on and I dumbly stared down at the basket in my hands while Nanna returned to her previous work without paying me another glance. I shook my head lightly to clear it and took a step forward to the elder woman.

"What...no...Nanna I'm sorry, I can't... I'm running away..." I stammered and stretched my basket holding arm out to her.

Nanna chuckled under her breath but didn't look up. "No you're not, my dear."

Realizing she wouldn't take the basket from me, I let my arm drop to my side. "No, I'm serious Nanna..." I began with lowered head and stared at my feet.

Nanna just chuckled again, her back still turned on me. "You're not going to run away, Lilly. We both know that. If that's what you really wanted to do, you'd be flying on your dragons back across the ocean right now. But instead you are standing here in the middle of the forest, holding a basket." She turned her head a little to meet my eyes and I shifted from one foot to the other at her intense stare. "So as you're obviously going nowhere, you might as well help me harvest these little babies here. We will need plenty of them."

I let out a ragged sigh and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. She was right. No matter how much I wanted to avoid my brother, I would not leave like this. Especially not without Hiccup. Maybe he would take me with him if we talked later. I was almost certain he would. But in the meantime it would do no harm if I helped Nanna harvesting whatever... Curiosity got the better of me and I knelt down beside her, putting the basket to the side and peeked into Nanna's to see what she was talking about.

"What are these?" I asked, looking down at a small pile of little brown mushrooms.

"These..." she picked up another one from the grass and held it close to my face. "...are very tricky little babies. One pinch of it's dried powder is enough to send a full grown man to sleep for a whole day. Add it into a drink at the Great Hall and you would be able to send the whole town to sleep, but if you accidentally get too much, even the tiniest bit...you might never wake up again." Nanna chuckled at my flustered expression and dropped the little mushroom into her basket.

"Is this what you gave me?" I asked, my eyes still fixed on the mushrooms.

"Only a hint of it and you didn't feel anything, did you?" Nanna looked at me with a tiny smile playing around her lips.

I shook my head and Nanna made an approving sound. "And that's why we will need it." she continued picking mushrooms but stopped again when she noticed I didn't move. "It's easier to cut rotting limbs off if the person is unconscious, child." she exclaimed as if it was obvious and my eyes widened as realization hit me.

"You mean..." I started.

"Well of course, Lilly. Or do you believe Drago Bludvist is going to send us flowers?" her voice was harsh but softened when she noticed me wince under the mention of that name. "I've witnessed it before, my dear. I've seen the buildings aflame and blood running down the streets of our good old town. We will need every helping hand we can get."

Instantly I jumped to my feet and turned. I trembled. _It's all because of me, I shouldn't be here. No one should have to suffer because of me_. "I...I can't do this Nanna...I...I shouldn't be here."

Nanna only hummed a little, but remained otherwise completely unimpressed by my reaction. "I remember your mother saying almost the same when she was your age."

_What? _My heartbeat sped up a little at the mention of my mother and I spun around again, letting myself drop back onto the ground. Nanna straightened and her lips curled into a gentle smile.

"My age?" I whispered, unable to form more words and Nanna nodded. 

"Oh yes, your mother was young when she came to our island. That was quite a thing, it almost caused your grandfather to disinherit your father."

"What?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"You must know, dear child, your grandfather was a man who had very clear expectations. He sent your father away to bring him rare and valuable dragons, but your father returned empty handed with nothing but this foreign girl. Oh my that was quite a scandal. Vidar was outraged."

"But my father forced mother to come with him, otherwise he would have captured and slaughtered every dragon on her island. She sacrificed everything to keep the dragons safe!" I cried out and clenched my hands to fists, feeling anger against my father boiling up in my stomach.

"Yes, Lilly, and just like you she wished to run away more than just one time but in the end she never did. And with time she learned that not everything about the people here is bad and she grew into her new life. Your father always at her side."

"So did they really love each other?"

Nanna chuckled and let her gaze wander to the sky for a brief moment. "With a love as all consuming as the love of the gods. But if people didn't know them, they would've never guessed it. Your parents fought all the time and challenged each other every single day. But above all that they always found a way to get over their differences."

I smiled a little at that. At least my mother seemed to have found some kind of happiness here. But still...

"But I'm not my mother, Nanna. I...I feel that I just don't belong here, I tried but..."

"Really? You tried?" Nanna interrupted me and I stared at her blankly. _What does she mean?_

"Tell me Lilly, how many people of the townsfolk have you talked to? I'm sure you know them very well if it's so easy for you to judge that you don't fit in."

"What would be the use of that? Most of the people here think I'm a witch." I snapped and crossed my arms, feeling defiant.

Nanna started laughing and her eyes sparkled with it. "So? That's what they say of me, still no one doubts that I am a part of them. You should at least give them a chance before you turn your back on your tribe so quickly."

Then Nanna went back to collecting mushrooms without paying me another glance and left me to my thoughts. Chewing my lower lip I let her words sink into my heart. _Am I really too fast to judge? But she doesn't understand, I just belong to my dragons. Or is she right? _Confused I tried to push this thoughts aside and bent forward to help her. We worked in silence until the baskets were full enough. Nanna hummed to herself as she got up and I followed her down the path to the town.

"So tell me my dear, what were these tears about when you stumbled into the forest?" Nanna asked without looking back.

I bit my lower lip and almost started crying again as I recalled the events of this morning. "Viggo thinks it's my fault that Ryker is dead." my voice cracked.

Nanna clicked her tongue. "He said that?"

I knitted my brows, trying to remember his words. "Not directly. He said Ryker is dead because of his decision."

I almost bumped into Nanna as she stopped abruptly and turned to look at me. Her intense gaze made me feel uneasy. "So he blames himself and not you."

I gulped, realizing how she was right again. "Y-yes I think so..." my voice was weak and I stared down at my feet. I couldn't deny the feeling of guilt spread in my chest for my outburst from earlier today._ Maybe Viggo is blaming himself as much as I do. But still, he sent Hiccup away and lied to me! I can't forgive him that easily._

"What am I going to do with you Grimborns?!" Nanna sighed and turned her attention back to the path. "Come Lilly, let's bring these to my hut and then follow me. I need you today."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as we laid out the mushrooms at the backside of Nanna's hut to let them dry, Nanna told me to go inside to wash my face and gather several ointments and herbal mixtures she would need on her tour through the town. I did as told and soon enough I found myself carrying a rather large leather bag while I tried my best to keep pace with Nanna as she strolled down the street. _How does she manage to walk that fast at her age? _

I had no clue what Nanna wanted to show me or how this could even help me until she stopped in front of a small house and knocked. The door opened and a brown haired boy, maybe ten years of age, peeked outside.

"Hello Sven, we come to see your mother." Nanna said to the boy and his eyes widened a little as he stared at me but he nodded and stepped to the side anyway. I frowned as we entered the house, this whole situation made me feel uncomfortable. I just wished the boy would stop staring at me. _What is Nanna up to? _I had not much time to think about it as I heard a woman's voice from across the room. "Who's there, Sven?"

"It's Nanna, mother and...the chief's sister." the boy called out but never turned his eyes away from me. It was unnerving to say the least.

I could hear a clattering sound coming from the end of the room where the boy's mother had obviously been busy preparing a meal in front of the fireplace. The woman walked over to greet Nanna and stared at me with the same surprised expression as her son. I felt sweat forming on the insides of my hands. _Why is everybody on this island looking at me as if I was some kind of strange creature? _

"Brida, how are you feeling? I brought you fresh raspberry leaves for your tea." Nanna spoke to the woman who finally managed to look away from me. Nanna chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder. "And I also brought Lilly here with me today. She's my apprentice and needs some practice."

Brida looked back at me and smiled a little. "Of course and thank you Nanna, I'm doing fine. Although some things are getting more exhausting lately." she laughed and put her hands on her rather big belly. My eyes grew wide at that. She looked like Shadow when she was expecting the eggs. 

"A baby." the words just slipped from my tongue and I mentally slapped myself. What a dumb exclamation. But the woman only laughed at this. 

"Yes. Have you never seen a pregnant woman before?" 

I shook my head and stepped back a little as Brida approached me, reaching her hand out. "It's okay. Do you want to feel it?"

"Uhm...I..." I looked at Nanna for help but she only gestured her head towards the woman with a knowing smile. She wanted me to do this. I took a deep breath. "Okay."

I let the bag drop on the floor and Brida took my hands in hers, placing them on her bump. At first nothing happened and I started to feel awkward being so close to this woman but then I felt something poke the palm of my right hand. I drew my hands back like I got burned and cried out: "It poked me!" The woman burst out laughing and Nanna chuckled. "Of course it did, that's perfectly normal."

"Now." Nanna spoke up and shoved Brida towards a wooden chair in the middle of the room. "Let me check if the baby has turned and you..." she pointed to me "...go and cook some tea. Sven will show you everything."

After one hesitating moment I picked up the bag again and followed Sven to the cooking place where he showed me a small cauldron to cook the raspberry leaf tea. I placed the cauldron above the fireplace and pulled the herbs out of the bag. Sven stood a few feet away from me with crossed arms and staring at me...again.

"So you can speak with dragons?" the boy asked bluntly.

I let the leaves drop into the water. "Yes."

"Can you tell a dragon to do whatever you want?"

"What?" I put my hands on my hips and glared at the boy who looked at me with a defiant expression on his face.

"Can you?" he said again, more insistent. "Because if you can you must tell the dragons to bite the evil man's head off. Can you do that?"

I let my arms drop to my side. That was not what I expected of this boy who chewed his lower lip and looked rather insecure now. "Why do you ask me that?" I asked, my voice weaker than I intended.

The boy shrugged a little. "I don't want my mother and the baby to get hurt. Your dragons could surely protect us, right?"

"Oh...I am not sure..."

_"Lilly!"_

A voice resounded in my head and I stopped in the middle of the sentence. Sven frowned at me. "You're not sure of what? Your brother is the chief, you're going to protect us, are you not?"

I shook my head and tried to take in what the boy just said but there was the voice again. _"Lilly! Lilly! Come look.."_  
It was a sweet and squeaky voice, sounding like a child. A voice I had never heard before.

"Hello? Is anybody home up there?" Sven stepped up to me and waved his hand in front of my face.

_"Lilly, come look...I fly!"_

_Can it be her? _I shook out of my trance and pushed Sven's hand out of the way. "I'm sorry, I have to go." I mumbled and spurted out of the house. Nanna called after me and I knew she was furious but I needed to know if I was right. I was already running down the street when Nanna muttered under her breath. "This is going to be more difficult than I thought."

Following the happy cries of the voice in my head I finally saw her when I reached the port. I brought my hands in front of my mouth as the sight of her hit me. Hope was flying! Not very high but she tried her best to glide through the sky. At her side were Shadow and Toothless with Hiccup riding on his back, the happiest grin on his face.

_"Look Lilly, look I fly." _

Hearing her sweet voice in my head brought tears to my eyes. "_I see it!" _I cried out to her. Shadow landed beside me. _"Do you want to join us, love?"_

_"Of course I do." _I jumped on her back and in no time at all we were flying round the town, following Hope wherever her small wings would carry her. Toothless and Shadow purred in joy and pride of their little hatchling.

"This is amazing." Hiccup cried out and laughed. I couldn't help but join him. Seeing this little dragon take off was pure joy. After all we've been through, this was a moment of joy. I met Hiccup's gaze and knew that he was feeling the same.

"I only wish I could fly like her." I called to him and Hiccup's grin grew even wider.

"Yeah? Then you should see what I built back at the Edge. Did you ever have your own pair of wings?"

Hiccup laughed as I stared at him in bewilderment. Toothless made a disapproving sound and I could hear him grumble incoherently under his breath.

"Oh come on bud, it wasn't that bad!" Hiccup exclaimed but Toothless only snorted and rolled his eyes. 

I laughed a little at their way of arguing before I turned my attention back to Hope. We were now flying above our house and for a moment I wondered where my brother was as I spotted Fulgur lying in the backyard, curled up and obviously asleep. I was still mad at him but at the same time I wanted to make sure he was alright. _Maybe I should give him a chance and hear him out?_

Hope turned and flew back to the port and Shadow followed, drawing me from my thoughts. We came past a foreign ship that I had never seen before. On deck stood the same black haired woman I saw in Viggo's office before and I could feel her eyes burning at my back as Shadow and I passed by the ship. I turned around and the woman's eyes pierced into mine. She smirked and it sent a chill down my spine. _Who is she?_

A few moments later Shadow landed on the main gangplank with a thud and I hopped down from her back and ran up to Hope who purred happily as I patted her little head. _"I'm very proud of you little one." _

I got to my feet and stared up at the Grimborn house. _Maybe I should go and find Viggo. _  
I was about to walk away when I felt Hiccup wrap his arms around me from behind, burying his nose into the crook of my neck. "Where have you been the whole day? I was looking for you."

His hot breath tingled against my skin and I closed my eyes, feeling my knees growing weak again. "I was with Nanna...and you?"

"I tried to avoid your brother." Hiccup muttered.

"Did you see him?"

"No. I actually feared the worst after he found out that I am back but he didn't show up the whole day." he said honestly.

That made me worried. It was not like my brother to not confront Hiccup. I should go and look out for him, he is still my brother. My plan however was again very short lived as Stoick and Valka approached us holding hands and the happiest smile on their faces.

"There you are you little lovebirds! Can we have a word with you?" Stoick said and chuckled a little. I could feel Hiccup let go off me and saw him blush at his father's exclamation. He was probably still feeling embarrassed about Stoick walking in on us this morning.

"Uh...sure dad." he said and scratched the back of his head.

"Good. Come lets go somewhere more private."

Hiccup groaned beside me as he took my hand in his. "This is going to be awkward." he grumbled but followed his parents anyway. Hope curled herself up on Toothless' back as he and Shadow trotted behind us.

I glanced back at my brothers house one more time and frowned as I saw the strange woman from before walking up the path to the house with two foreign looking men accompanying her. They looked like they were her guards or something. I had no idea who these people were but I didn't like it.


	65. Chapter 64 - Shadows of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter takes place meanwhile Lilly meets Nanna in the forest, just to avoid confusion :)
> 
> Also this part is probably more explicit rated for a scene at the end of the chapter.

**Viggo's POV**

As soon as Martha left me alone again, I got up from behind my desk and walked over to the fireplace, resting my hands on the stone frame and stared down into the fire. The flames curled and swayed, flicking this way and that, crackling as they burned the dry wood. It was good to feel their warmth in comparison to the cold I felt inside. Seeing Lilly so enraged with me left me feeling like I would choke. _Why just why can't she see what I do? That everything I do is meant to keep her safe. It's already hard enough to keep that gods damn tribe together yet all that seems to be in her mind are her dragons. Dragons. Dragons blood. _

For a moment I let my thoughts wander back to the days when we were all kids and I shook my head slightly as memories of Lilly toddling around the dragon cages came to my mind. I could hardly count the times she would sneak away and play around between the giant creatures, reaching her little hands out to them and laughing. I could also hardly count the times it nearly caused me a heart attack but keeping Lilly away from dragons seemed as hard as keeping Terrible Terrors away from our fish. I remembered her pouting everytime I pulled her away and tried to explain how dangerous these dragons were. She would insist that they talked to her, told her stories and played with her. I always shook it off as her having too much imagination and our father...our father would scold her all the time, would constantly tell her to stop talking nonsense. But he must have known the truth all along, that she had the same power as mother.

_Why did our own mother never tell us where she came from? _It still bothered me more than I admitted to myself. And father...what a coward...what a liar...to hide it from his own children, from the family he was oh so proud of.

I snorted as a feeling of hate swept through my body. All the things I have done for this family, my grandfather, my father. I eagerly fulfilled every plan of their pitiless ambition, no matter what was at stake. I even arranged that my own aunt and cousin were banished from our tribe for Thor's sake. And all this in order to gain my father's love and respect but whatever I tried it was never enough...nothing I did was ever enough. And soon I decided to follow my own ambition. It was me that led this tribe to new glory, let it live in wealth like it never had before. Still there had always been a bitter taste to it, something that prevented me from truly enjoying my victories as long as I believed Lilly was dead. And now that I finally have her back, everything seems to be falling apart again.

I turned away from the fireplace and walked back to my desk, shoving several parchments out of the way to find mother's notebook. Carefully I picked it up and found myself paralyzed by the stains of dried blood that covered it. My brother's blood. I found the notebook in one bag of his pants and took it before we handed his body over to the flames. Ryker. The relationship between my brother and me had always been twisted but still I wished it would not have ended this way. _The traitor always dies in the end. _

I swallowed thickly as I let the pages slip through my fingers and couldn't help but wonder how different things could have been if I only discovered this sooner. If I would have been able to prevent our brother from betraying us. A note slipped from the book and fell onto the desk. I frowned as I picked it up to unfold it. This was not my mother's handwriting.

_Dear Lilly,_   
_by the time you're reading this you and your brother have hopefully escaped Drago's base unharmed. _   
_Do not grieve that I can't be with you, this escape was never meant for me. Please know that finding you here brought peace to my heart after all those years I have spent in darkness. You are stronger than you realize now, my dear granddaughter and I know that one day you will be able to break the chains of dragon slavery and defeat Drago Bludvist. Never forget who you are, Lillian Grimborn of the blood of the first dragon. You are the dragon's daughter. And should you ever be in the need of help, remember to look to the east for till three moons have passed the call of a dragon will be heard. _

_Rȳ perzys kesi sīmonagon arlī, my dear. _

_Lord Hammond_

My hand trembled as I read the letter over and over again. So this man, this Hammond, who was apparently our grandfather had planned all along to help Lilly and Ryker to escape. I shook my head, this was really hard to take in. But Lilly stopping Drago? Freeing the dragons? That was way too dangerous for her and what were these last words supposed to mean? It was a language I had never seen before. No I could not let her find this, it would just make her even more upset and only persuade her more that she belongs only to her dragons. Clenching the letter in my fist I walked over to the fireplace.

My heart was hammering hard in my chest and somewhere deep down I knew I shouldn't do this but I couldn't stop myself, I couldn't let this happen. _I will not risk losing her again_.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hammond, but here is the place where Lilly belongs...I will not let anyone take her away from me." I whispered before I threw the parchment into the flames, watching as they eagerly licked at the paper until it turned to black dust. Inhaling deeply I let mother's notebook follow.

"Forgive me mother, but your flame died a long time ago. It is only me and her now. And I know what I have to do." I muttered before I left the room, my face turning back to the emotionless mask that I was so accustomed to wear.

_I know what I have to do._

_~~~~~~~~~~~_  
Holding my sword in hand I exited my house and made my way to the backyard. Out of the corner of my eye I could see two black spots flying round the port in the distance and a third, smaller one would appear from time to time. The Night Furies no doubt. And where the Night Furies were Hiccup couldn't be far. I inwardly growled as I felt a new rush of anger flowing through my veins. If that boy would just have listened to me he would have spared me from another problem. But Hiccup would have to be dealt with later on, there was one thing that I needed to do first.

I walked around the house and found Fulgur curled up on the grass as expected. The dragon raised his head and made a purring sound as he spotted me. He let me pet his snout and stared at me with his big yellow eyes. I would have never admitted it, but having this mighty creature at my side felt completely natural and right, more then I ever thought it would. "Will you take me on a ride, my friend?" I asked and Fulgur made an approving sound as he got up and motioned his head to his back.

In no time at all we were flying round the island till we reached the shore at the west coast where I spotted Magnus advising our men to build the traps like I told him. _Good. So everything goes as planned so far. _

Still there was one more thing I wanted to do, an idea that stuck in my head for the longest time now. Since the first time I saw Hiccup's fire sword, I was playing with the thought of making my own. With improvements of course. And now the time seemed to be right to let my idea become reality. I patted Fulgur's head as I asked him to fly us back to town.

As soon as he landed in front of the forge I hopped off his back and walked up to Karl, the blacksmith who was busy cooling down a freshly forged sword in a bucket of water.

"Karl." I called out to him. "How is everything going?"

Karl turned to face me and held up the sword, it was made of Gronckle iron and shimmered in the sunlight. "I'm working the whole day and do my best to keep the weapon production flowing, Sir."

"And the Gronckles? I do trust they are treated well?"

"Of course, chief, like you told us to."

I nodded in acknowledgement and drew my sword out of it's sheath. "Would you do me a favor Karl and melt this sword down for me? But make sure to remove the jewels first."

Karl stared at me in bewilderment and stammered. "But, but Sir...isn't this your father's sword...it's been handed over from one chief to the other for generations."

"There is no need to tell me the history of this sword, I know it very well." I replied in a calm but low voice. "But my father is long gone and times have changed. This sword is now mine and I wish to melt it down."

"Of course, Sir. I beg your pardon."

I nodded again and handed the blade over to Karl. "Now, would you mind me taking a bit of your Gronckle iron? There is something I would like to do."

"You are free to take whatever you want, Sir." Karl replied as I followed him into the forge and I hummed in approval. The air inside was hot and thick and it didn't take long till I felt the first drops of sweat building on my forehead. Fulgur trotted to my side and watched what I was up to in obvious interest. Karl drew in a sharp breath as his eyes fell on the Skrill and I raised my hands to reassure him. "Everything is alright Karl. Fulgur here is a friend. Are you not?" I turned to look at the dragon at my last words and he gave a soft purr. Eventually Karl got used to his presence and calmed down as I got to work.

After hours of modeling, hammering and correcting I finally made it. "That's it." I said, rather proud of myself as I inserted the last ruby that Karl removed from my father's sword. My whole body was covered in sweat and my hands ached from the hard work, especially the wounded one but it was worth it. This weapon was nothing but amazing.   
Fulgur stayed at my side the whole time and was now making a growling sound, as if he was telling me that he agreed. Well, that's probably exactly what he was saying.

Like Hiccup did with his sword Inferno, I inserted a small canister of Monstrous Nightmare gel inside the hilt that would allow me to coat the blade with the substance and ignite it but aside from that I also added another canister of Hideous Zippleback gas so that I would be able to release the gas through the pommel that was shaped like the head of a dragon, symbolizing our new way of living in peace with the creatures, and create an explosion when ignited.

"This turned out very good indeed." I mused as I let my fingers graze over the ruby set handle of my newly forged fire sword and Fulgur purred in agreement, sniffing the weapon in obvious interest. "I still have to name it. What do you think, my friend?" The Skrill purred again and I chuckled as I went to stroke his head.

Hiccup's fire sword was really a great invention but with my improvements it was truly a masterpiece. I couldn't hold back a grin as I hummed to myself. Now it was time to leave my father's shadow behind and let the new era of this tribe begin.

The sun was already setting when Fulgur and I finally made our way back to my house. The dragon strolled back to the spot he was sleeping before and I decided to head to my room to get changed. My black tunic still clung to my body and I shivered as the damp cloth grew cold. After I got changed I planned to go and look for Lilly and Hiccup, who would hopefully not have put new reckless ideas in my sister's head.

As soon as I closed the door of my room behind me, I put the fire sword on a small wooden table that stood a few feet away in front of the window along with my dagger before I slipped out of my tunic and let the it rest on the back of the chair next to me. My whole body ached and every movement of my fingers sent a stinging pain through my injured hand. I sighed. _This will be a major handicap if we are going to be attacked soon.   
_

I had to make sure not to show any weakness in front of our guests from Solsteinn, especially Eira. As much as I wished she would just get on that ship of hers and leave for good, I knew we were depending on their help and what made it even worse was that Eira knew that too. I bothered me more than words could ever describe.

A rustling sound from behind shook me from my thoughts and without thinking twice I grabbed my dagger and spun around to whoever was intruding my chambers.

Within seconds my blade was at her neck from behind and the woman gasped in surprise. _Eira? What the...?   
_

Then she laughed and her mocking voice was back, though she sounded slightly breathless. "Is that how you treat your guests on this island, Viggo?"

"A guest who would invade my room seems more like an intruder to me." I growled in a low voice and let go of her, but left my blade pointing to her neck as she turned around to face me. She let her gaze wander from the cold metal to my eyes and grinned. There was no fear in her eyes but amusement and expectation as if she was curious to see what I would do next.

"What do you want?" I asked in what I hoped was an emotionless voice. Her constant grinning was unnerving and it triggered something in me that I thought I had buried deep down many years ago.

"I was looking for you to tell you my decision." she said, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Very well, but we should continue this discussion down in my office. When I am dressed." I replied but Eira didn't move. To emphasize my words I took one step towards her, never lowering my blade. "Will you leave?" I said lowly.

Eira laughed again. "Are you threatening me?" 

"Do I need to?" 

"My guards are waiting outside. I could scream in terror, call out for them and tell my brother to declare war on your tribe for your ungallant behavior." she mocked. 

I inhaled deeply but my eyes narrowed as I took another step closer to her, gauging my control. _Do you believe you can threaten me?   
_

"Well then go ahead..." I continued and brought my face and dagger closer to her. "...scream."

Eira's eyes sparkled with mischief and her grin grew even wider as she leaned in against my blade, her skin growing red around the tip but without drawing blood yet. The sight of it left me paralyzed and I felt my mouth grow dry as I heard her whisper, only for me to hear. 

"Help."

A throaty laugh escaped my lips at her boldness and in the next second I found myself crashing my lips to hers without my conscious mind giving me the permission to do so. I felt her smirk against my lips but she was already kissing me back, one of her hands sneaking round my back while the other grabbed hold of my wrist.

For a moment she pulled away and I shook my head as though to clear it and make at least one last valiant effort to stop where this was going. Slowly Eira let her fingers graze over the cold metal and purred. "Is that blade truly necessary?"

Then she grabbed the dagger from my hand and threw it across the room. I watched as the blade buried itself into my wooden bedpost. The second the blade made contact with the wood I felt my control vanish like butterflies on the wind.

"Oh my dear, you play a very dangerous game indeed." I growled and wrapped my hands in her hair to pull her to me, catching her lips into another kiss. Her lips were trembling and she laughed against my mouth as I gave into a desire that I hadn't felt for years.

"You know me, Viggo." she breathed against my lips. "I'm a freak of nature."

I couldn't suppress a chuckle at this and my voice dropped to a gravely tone. "You must be treated harshly then."

She laughed again and bit down on my lower lip, hard but not hard enough to draw blood. I growled and pressed her closer to me, brushing my tongue along the seam of her mouth. Eira opened her mouth and her tongue reached out to duel with mine. In the instant I felt her warmth I was utterly lost.

My blood raced as I drowned in her mouth. My hands grasped her waist and I pressed her so close to me that I could feel every part of her body.

There was nothing hesitant about any of this. I was the aggressor and pushed her backwards with the strength of my desire till she bumped into the wall with a surprised gasp. The kiss went on and on and our lips were pressed so tightly together that it threatened to cause pain but neither of us retreated. It was as if all the pent up emotions of the last years were to be drowned in that kiss. It was overwhelming.

I let out a muffled groan against her mouth as Eira's hands scratched across my back, there was no doubt she would be leaving marks. I didn't care. My mind was too clouded with lust for this woman, her alluring scent fogging my brain and I had to bring up all my willpower to keep myself from humping her against the wall.

Eira brought her hands to my front, grazing her fingers across my stomach and chest before they busied themselves in unfastening her leather belt and I pulled away as it hit the floor with a low thud. Then she untied the laces of her tunic and let it too drop to the floor before she bent down to get rid of her boots and pants. For a few moments I could do nothing but stare, my heart hammering hard in my chest. Eira looked down at the obvious proof of my desire for her and smirked. "Do you want me?"

"I can hardly deny it." I replied, my voice raspy.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she purred in the sweetest voice and let her hand run over the front of my pants.

That was all it took for me. If I did not possess her now, in this very minute, I thought my heart would explode. There was no time for more words. Claiming her mouth again I picked her up and carried her to my bed. Quickly I shucked off my remaining clothes and climbed on top of her. Our lips met for another heated kiss while my hands roved over her body, feeling every inch of her delicate skin. Eira panted and writhed under me and I relished in the sweet sounds she made. I let my mouth wander from her lips to her neck where I nibbled and licked at her skin before I bit down, repaying her for biting my lip. Eira cried out and arched her back, if anything it only excited her more and I chuckled under my breath. Some things would never change.

My left hand squeezed her thigh while my lips traveled down to her breasts, finally giving them the attention they deserved. Eira moaned and continued to squirm beneath me as I sucked on her left nipple before I grazed my teeth over the tight nub when I noticed a strange movement out of the corner of my eye. Her hand was sneaking up to the place where the dagger was embedded into the wood, trying to grasp it._   
_

She gasped as I grabbed her wrist rather roughly and pinned it over her head. "I would not try that, my dear." I growled against her skin and I sensed a shiver running through her. Our eyes locked and Eira gave me her best innocent smile.

"You can stab me anytime Viggo." she breathed and wrapped her slender legs around my waist to emphasize the ambiguity in her words.

"I'll take that as a promise." The look in her eyes told me that she as well knew that there was a deeper meaning to my words. She squeezed her legs tighter around me and I groaned as I lifted her into my lap so that she was on top of me while I knelt on the bed. There was no turning back at this point and another second without being inside of her was an eternity. 

Slowly I slid her down onto me and our groans of pleasure echoed through the bedchamber. She was so wet and needy that I penetrated her fully in one stroke and chained her in place with my arms. It was several heartbeats before either one of us could move. Eira closed her eyes in delight as she slowly started to move.

"Tell me Viggo, why am I here?" she moaned as she rocked against me, meeting my thrusts. "Can it be love or is it just desires of the flesh?"

Putting my hands on her hips I pressed her further down on me and she gasped. She felt so perfect, holding me like a vice and I couldn't bring to mind even one of the tricks that I usually employed to please women.

"I am very much afraid that it is both. One or the other I could deal with - both and I may be lost." I answered rather breathlessly as she continued to move up and down, rolling her hips in the most delicate way. I could feel the shudders of ecstasy building at my spine and tried to hold back until I realized she was there on the peak with me. 

My hold onto her hips tightened and I had no doubt it would leave bruises as I picked up the pace. It only heightened my arousal to think about how I would mark her. Eira moaned and gasped every time I would hit something good deep inside of her, our eyes stayed locked all the time till I felt white hot pleasure flood through my veins. I groaned and bit down on her neck again as I felt Eira's walls clench around me as her pleasure over rolled her as well. I wrapped my arms so tightly around her that it must have caused her pain but she didn't cry out only held more tightly onto me in return as I continued thrusting till the sensation of our release wore off.

I panted heavily and buried my nose into the crook of her neck as my thoughts slowly began to clear. _What have I just done?_

The squeaking sound of a door followed by a gasp and Eira's laughter brought me back to reality and I snapped my head back up. My heart literally dropped. In the door stood nobody else but Lilly and stared at us with wide eyes.

"Lilly..." I breathed.

She shook her head slightly and stammered. "I...uhm...I should go..." Then she turned and ran down the hall.

I groaned and shoved Eira off of me. _Great, just great...exactly the position I wish to be found in by my little sister..._

Quickly I slipped back into my pants and tried to catch up with Lilly without paying Eira another glance and so I didn't notice her narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms in anger as I ran off the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you liked this chapter.
> 
> Any ideas what Viggo could name his sword?
> 
> Also the words in Hammond's letter above mean: Through fire we will rise again.
> 
> Do you think it was a bad move of Viggo to burn it?


	66. Chapter 65 - Sapphire Island

**Astrid's POV**

The air around us was laden with moisture and a heavy scent of foreign flowers and herbs drew to my nose as we carefully made our way through the ocean of green that surrounded us. Everywhere lay water, water in pools and water caught on leaves so large like I had never seen before. Still there was something strange, something creepy about this forest. Where you would expect to hear the song of birds or even the hums and chirps of insects there was nothing. Not a sound aside from the dropping of water and the rustling of leaves in the wind that sounded strangely like mourning voices. Our footsteps seemed unbearably loud in comparison to it. I felt a shiver run down my spine. This forest, this island, it seemed to be dead.

Our dragons sensed it too, they stayed unusually close to us, their heads slightly bowed in distress.

"It's okay girl. We'll be fine." I petted Stormfly's snout as we continued walking. Every now and then we called out for Hiccup and Toothless but got no response and I slowly started to wonder if he was even here or what would be worse, that something happened to him.

"Woah guys look at these!" Tuffnut called and held out two hand full of dark purple berries that reminded me a lot of blackberries but they were slightly bigger and they smelt very sweet. "Finally something to eat!"

Ruffnut appeared at his side, carrying the same amount of berries and Snotlout joined their side in obvious interest. I rolled my eyes and intervened just as Snotlout was about to shove a hand full of berries into his mouth. "Guys, do you even know what these are? The berries could be poisonous! We shouldn't touch anything here."

Snotlout stopped dead in his movements and glared at the twins before he let the berries drop to the ground.

"I see your point, my friend and I think someone of us should act as a taster." Tuffnut mused, tapping his chin with a finger and stepped closer to his sister. "Thanks for taking the part, sis. If you die, I promise you the Thorston family will remember you died as a hero."

"Hey!" Ruff exclaimed and soon they were fighting quite audibly. I brought my hand in front of my face. _Why do I have to deal with those muttonheads?_

"Uhm...guys? You should have a look at this." Fishlegs called a few feet away from us.

Eventually the twins stopped their arguing and we walked up to Fishlegs and Meatlug. The forest cleared and soon we stepped out onto a large clearing. My eyes felt like they didn't know how to blink at that moment as I was struck by what my eyes witnessed. In the distance shimmered the crystal blue water of a big lake that marked the center of the clearing. The clearing was surrounded by stony hills covered with trees higher than any I had seen before and all kinds of colorful exotic flowers growing among bushes. But what caught my eyes the most was the ruins of houses that seemingly were built around the lake. Most of the buildings were completely burned down to the base, a few were not that badly damaged. I could still see parts of wooden bridges that connected the different buildings with each other and the ornate decorations that garnished the remaining wooden archways and pillars. The trees closest to the buildings were broken down.

Carefully we made our way further into the destroyed village. None of us was speaking a word, even the twins were caught in some kind of reverent silence. People's belongings and pieces of the buildings were scattered everywhere, already overgrown by weeds but that was not the worst part. I stepped back when I heard a cracking sound from underneath my feet and gasped in shock as I realized what it was. "Oh by Odin."

My stomach twisted slightly as my eyes fell on a small human skull, obviously from a child, covered by the growing weeds. It was not the only one.

The closer we looked, the more human remains we discovered splayed across the clearing and even though I didn't know one of the people I felt tears well up in my eyes. This was just a horrible sight. _What may have gone through their head...when they realized what Drago was up to... _  
This tribe seemed to have lived a peaceful life, I couldn't see any weapons lying around. _I wonder if they only relied on their dragons to protect them..._  
Stormfly purred softly and nudged my side to comfort me. "Thanks girl." I muttered.

"One thing is strange..." Fishlegs mused. "Lilly told us the people here lived with hundreds of dragons, but there's not one dead body of a dragon..."

"Maybe Drago captured them all." I said, my voice still shaky.

"Yeah...but how was he able to do that?" Fishlegs rubbed his chin.

"Well he didn't manage to take all of them. That dragon we saw...do you think he got away?" I asked.

A rumbling growl filled the air before Fishlegs could answer and our dragons growled in response and got into a defensive position.

"Uh speaking of our blind friend...here we go again." Tuffnut exclaimed and pointed to the sky.

He was right. The black dragon descended onto the clearing and landed...well he crashed to be more precise into a wooden ruin, knocking the remaining wooden pillars down in the process. The poor creature seemed to be really desoriented. The dragon roared in fury as he crawled down to the surface of the lake.

Stormfly growled again and I put my hand on her snout to calm her. "Shh...everybody be quiet. We don't want him to notice us again." I whispered and gestured to the others to keep their dragons quiet when suddenly another roar echoed through the clearing, so loud that the floor vibrated under our feet. For a moment the clearing darkened as a dragon twice as big as the black one landed a few feet away from his companion. He looked exactly like the black dragon but his scales were of a light grey colour that shimmered like silver in the sunlight. Totally awe-struck by the sight of this majestic creature I could do nothing but stare openmouthed while my heart started racing. I lifted my gaze to the dragon's eyes and although he seemed to be blind as well, this dragon seemed to be far better oriented than the smaller one as it moved between the ruins with ease. The silver dragon growled again as he approached the black one and nudged his side with his head. The smaller dragon spun around and shot a small flame at the bigger one along with an enraged growl. The silver dragon puffed and slapped his large tail on the black dragons head. This kind of fight kept going as both dragons chased each other round the clearing, constantly coming closer to us.

I couldn't help but stare in bewilderment and a side glance to the others told me that they felt the same. Even our dragons watched this situation in interest, their heads slightly tilted as if they were listening to the ongoing "arguing" between the two dragons.

"It looks like they're having a real argument. This is exciting." Fishlegs exclaimed, his hands shooting up to cover his mouth an instant later. But it was already too late.

Both dragons stopped dead in their tracks, their heads snapped into our direction and before one of us could even react the black dragon shot forward and pinned Fishlegs to the ground with a threatening growl. Meatlug returned the growl but didn't dare to act as she could've hurt Fishlegs in the process.

"Oh Thor, oh Thor, oh Thor!" Fishlegs whimpered as the dragon's nostrils hovered only inches away from his face.

"Fishlegs!" I cried out, my mind racing about what to do.

The dragon turned his head into my direction for a second, then back to a shaking Fishlegs who he was now sniffing up and down before he turned to the silver dragon and made a grumbling sound while pointing his head down to Fishlegs. The bigger dragon tilted his head and gave a light growl in response.

To our surprise the black dragon let go of Fishlegs, who let out the biggest breath in his life and was now coming closer to me. I tensed up and Stormfly moved forward to shield me from the dragon but immediately bowed her head and stepped to the side when the silver dragon let out another rumbling roar. _Okay what is going on here?_

Our dragons remained in a submissive position as the black dragon moved between us, sniffing everyone of us up and down. Whenever he was done, he would puff in what seemed to be annoyance. It was almost like he was looking for someone.

Snotlout was the last one and he raised his arms in a defensive position. "Oh there's no way you're going to sniff me!"   
The dragon just growled and shot a small flame in front of Snotlout's feet causing him to jump. "Aah! Alright, alright you can do it!" He cried out. The dragon made a strange throaty sound that sounded almost like a _chuckle? _I crossed my arms and frowned. This whole situation was just bizarre. The giant dragon didn't seem aggressive at all, he was just standing a few feet away and followed the movements of his companion with interest. All the time they would communicate with each other through growls and purring sounds and soon it seemed our dragons took part in the conversation that we could not understand.

Then, without a warning, the silver dragon took off and grabbed Fishlegs by his shoulders with his claws. Fishlegs cried out but Meatlug stayed perfectly calm, as if she knew that Fishlegs was not in danger.

"Hey where are you taking me?!" he yelled as the dragon carried him across the lake.

"Fishlegs!" I called out and turned to the others. "Come, we need to get him back!"  
_Maybe this dragon kidnapped Hiccup and Toothless too. _

  
**Viggo's POV**

"Lilly wait!" I cried out as I caught a glimpse of red at the foot of the staircase. Quickly I spurted after her and managed to grab hold of her wrist just before she reached the main door.

Lilly spun around and stared at me with wide eyes, then her gaze fell to my hand still holding her wrist and I let go as I realized my grip must probably hurt her. She looked utterly flustered and I instantly felt a pang of guilt shooting through my body. _She shouldn't have seen me like this, it's perfectly normal for her to be confused. It must have looked strange to her, she doesn't know anything about the union between men and women yet. And I would prefer it stays this way for a while, a very very long while._

I cleared my throat and tried to break the awkward silence. "You where looking for me, little flower?"

Lilly snapped out of her trance and bit her lower lip, like she always did when she was nervous about something and simply nodded before she let her gaze wander to something behind my back. I turned my head to see two of Eira's guards leaning casually against the wall, a smug expression on their faces and my eyes instantly narrowed.

"Come my love, let's go somewhere more private." I said and wrapped an arm around Lilly as I led her towards my office. As soon as I closed the door behind us, Lilly blurted out: "I wanted to apologize!"

She stood in the middle of the room and clenched her fists open and closed. I closed my eyes for one brief moment and inhaled deeply before I closed the distance between us and pulled her into a hug. _How can I ever be mad at you for longer than a few minutes?_

I felt something moist on my skin and pulled back to see Lilly was crying. I cupped her face in my hands and brushed the tears away with my thumbs. "If anyone should apologize it is me. I should not have sent Hiccup away without telling you. But please try to understand, if anything happened to you again I won't survive. This family has already suffered from too many losses."

Lilly's eyes teared up again. "You feel responsible for Ryker's death, don't you?"

I sighed. "Well I think maybe things could have been different if I...but nevermind, I'd rather not dwell on what ifs my dear sister. It leaves you barren." I paused and locked my gaze with Lilly's. "I really wish you would see how much you belong here. You are a part of this tribe and nothing is ever going to change that. You and I, we are part of each other."

Lilly's eyes saddened again. "There's also something else I wanted to talk about with you. I talked to Stoick and Valka and they asked me something..." Then she paused and frowned. "But tell me first, who's that woman in your bed?"

I let go of Lilly's face and walked over to my desk, not sure how to answer this particular question and worried about what Stoick could have asked Lilly. Although I had a feeling about it and I didn't like it. "Her name is Eira, she is our guest from the island of Solsteinn. If everything goes well, they will provide us with supplies through the winter."

"Is that why you had sex with her? To get her to help us?" Lilly asked bluntly and I nearly choked on my own saliva.

"What...how...how do you even know about such things?" I could hardly form words.

Lilly just shrugged but instead of answering my question she walked up to me and let one finger run down my back. "She hurt you."

I turned away from her touch and waved it off. This conversation made me uncomfortable and I'd rather change the topic. "That's nothing to worry about my love. Now would you please answer my question?"

Lilly opened her mouth to say something when the door to my office burst open and a rather enraged Eira stormed into the room. She shot Lilly a glare but didn't stop till she stood right in front of me. She poked my chest and I could see the sparks of fury in her eyes. Before she could say something I intervened: "Eira, I assume you came to tell me your decision now?"

She snorted and let her hand fall to her side and bringing her face close to mine she hissed: "We will help you, but I swear to you if you ever betray me or let me down, I will make you pay."

I raised one eyebrow and couldn't suppress an amused grin. "Whatever you say my dear."

Eira growled under her breath before she stormed out of the room again, slamming the door behind her. Lilly stared at the door for a few more seconds in bewilderment till I decided to break the silence again.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about little flower?"


	67. Chapter 66 - Freya's Blessing

**Viggo's POV**

Lilly stared at the closed door for a few more moments and I let myself slump into my armchair behind my desk, waiting for my little sister to turn her attention back to me. Releasing a deep breath she snapped out of her thoughts and turned to me with a bewildered expression on her face.

"I don't like her already. How dare she talk to you like that?" she said and crossed her arms.

I raised an eyebrow in amusement at Lilly's words and chuckled under my breath. "You don't need to worry about Eira, little flower. Leave it to me to deal with her. But tell me what was on your mind before we got interrupted?"   
I gestured for her to sit down on the other side of my desk.

Lilly began to chew on her lower lip again as she moved towards the chair and I couldn't help but notice that something about her was different. Something in the way she walked had changed. It seemed her hips were swaying more when she moved and though her face was still so very young and innocent it seemed to have lost something of the little girl I was so accustomed to look at. I furrowed my brows and let my hand run over my beard as I watched her take a seat. Her hair was slightly tousled and her feet were bare as ever, something that was driving me crazy but no matter what I tried, she still won't like shoes. _Maybe I will have made leather sandals for her, like the people used to wear in Rome._

Lilly stopped biting her lip, leaving it plump and red and started to play with her fingers in her lap while she stared at me. She seemed to be nervous. I shook my head slightly and smiled at her. "There's no need to be nervous around me Lilly. You know you can tell me anything." Lilly nodded and I could see her relax into the chair.

"Hiccup and I talked to Stoick and Valka in the Great Hall and..." she began and I simply nodded to encourage her to go on. "Did you know that Stoick and Valka wish to renew their wedding vow?"

I raised my eyebrows, this was obviously not the point but I decided not to push her. Not now when we just reconciled a few moments ago. So I said: "No I didn't know that, but it sounds like a wonderful idea to show their love for each other. At least they were separated for almost two decades."

Lilly nodded enthusiastically. "Yes it is. And so they asked me if I would like to come to Berk with them for the ceremony..." she turned her gaze away from me and continued in a lower voice. "...and to stay if I wish to live with them and Hiccup."

I inhaled deeply and let my fingers drum on the wooden surface of my desk. I already saw something like this coming. This was a precarious situation, I didn't want Lilly to leave but if I just said no in the first place, I would risk another fight with her and what would be worse, her running away. I inwardly groaned in annoyance of Stoick. Why on Odin's earth is he coming up with something like that now? He shouldn't put such ideas into my sister's head without talking to me first. I'm the chief and her only family after all. But my discussion with Stoick would have to wait. So I decided to keep my emotions to myself as I spoke up again.

"I do trust this will not take place in the near future, not as long as Drago is a threat to our tribes?"

Lilly stiffened but shook her head. "No it is not. Stoick knows this."

"Good. I will not risk that this madman lays hands on you again and as long as he's out there I just can't let you leave this island. Please try to understand, your safety is most important to me. When we will face peaceful days again, I will gladly join you on a journey to Berk for the ceremony, but I hope you will feel that this island here is your home. Our tribe needs you. Who but you could learn the people how to live in peace with dragons? There's still so much we need to do."

Lilly bit her lip again at my word's and shifted on the chair in obvious discomfort. I could feel she was having an inner fight about something. That there was more to this situation, something she refused to tell me.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me my dear?"

"Do you want to keep me away from Hiccup?" she blurted out.

Taken aback I didn't know what to answer straight away. I couldn't deny that I didn't like how the boy prowled around my sister but it was obvious how much she cared about him. I sighed again. "Lilly I just want to protect you."

"There's no need to protect me from him. He would never hurt me. Hiccup came back to me instead of flying to the island like you told him to." Lilly got upset and stood, her cheeks flushing red.

"I have to admit I underestimated him in that case. He really seems to care for you, I'll give him that." I said.

Lilly shook her head and snorted. "So why can't you just respect him for what he is?"

"Now you're doing me wrong my dear. I do respect Hiccup. I always have. I never met a worthier adversary in my life..." I started but Lilly interrupted me.

"But he's not your adversary anymore, so would you please stop treating him like one! No wonder he feels uncomfortable around you." she exclaimed.

I let my hand run through my hair and got up from behind my desk. "He does?" I asked and Lilly nodded.

"I think he finds you rather frightening from time to time." she added and I couldn't suppress an amused grin. Lilly scowled and I instantly walked up to her and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Alright little flower, I will talk to Hiccup. If he's the one who makes you happy then I will accept him, I promise. And since he's back I will ask him to continue your training as of tomorrow, you still need to learn how to defend yourself. It will help me sleep easier at night and I think it is time you get your own sword, how does that sound?" I looked at her expectantly and felt Lilly relax under my touch. She smiled a little and nodded.

"Okay."

"But Hiccup better keeps his hands to himself." I added in a joking manner and tweaked Lilly's ear playfully.

"You're impossible!" Lilly rolled her eyes and blushed a little at my words causing me to frown.

"Is there anything I need to know?"

"No." she replied a little too quickly and pulled away. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and raised my brows slightly but she stubbornly avoided my gaze. Realizing she wouldn't tell me anymore I sighed and let my gaze wander back to her feet one more time. They were almost black with dirt. _My goodness she really needs to wear shoes..._

"Very well then. Now why don't you go upstairs, I'll let Martha prepare a bath for you. Looks like your feet are in need of one." I laughed and Lilly punched my chest lightly.

~~~~~  
**Lilly's POV**

I let myself slide into the hot water with a sigh and closed my eyes. I felt my muscles loosen as the blissful warmth surrounded me and it felt good, so insanely good. For a moment I wished the wooden tub would expand so that I could go swimming, like I did back at my island. Oh how I missed the feeling of swirling around in the sea, of feeling completely weightless. But my life has changed so much till then and the ocean around this island is growing colder each day. Berk would not be any better in that case of course but I still couldn't get Valka's words out of my head. Together we could create a new safe haven for all kind of dragons, like my grandfather did on Sapphire island. Hiccup had been so excited and he and his mother were bubbling over with ideas. They seemed to get along so well, I smiled at this memory. Seeing Hiccup with his family made me happy.

But then there was still Viggo and how he said he needs me, how everyone here would need me. I could hardly believe it but still, I couldn't fight the feeling of guilt rising in my stomach at the thought of leaving my brother. I don't want to make him sad. _How am I supposed to know what I should do... _

And then there was this strange woman, this Eira. I didn't know why but something about her made me uncomfortable still Viggo seemed to be more amused than anything else by her behavior. But I couldn't fight the feeling that he was hiding something from me, there has to be more to it then just getting her tribe to help us_. I will find it out sooner or later if Viggo wants to tell me or not._

"Are you feeling better Lilly?"

The gentle sound of Martha's voice shook me from my thoughts and I snapped my eyes open to see her close the door behind her. She was holding a small flacon in her hands along with a wooden brush. "I came to help you get the knots out of your hair." she said and held the two items up.

I simply nodded and leaned forward to give Martha access to my hair and she positioned herself behind the tub. We stayed quiet for a while, the sound of the brush combing through my hair the only sound in the room. The flowery scent of the oil Martha used filled my nose and I bit my lip as I remembered how harsh I was to her the last time we talked. She didn't deserve that.

"Martha?" I said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry." I turned my head slightly to look at her. "I haven't been fair to you. My brother decided to trust you so I should too."

Martha smiled and continued to work the knots out of my hair. "It's okay, Lilly. You were upset because of Hiccup."

"So you're not mad at me?"

She laughed a little. "No I'm not mad at you."

I returned her smile, feeling relieved. "Thank you."

Silence descended onto us again for a while and I closed my eyes, enjoying the treatment I received till Martha cleared her throat and spoke up again. "So Lilly, I'm really happy for you that Hiccup is back. He seems to be good to you."

"He is." I smiled and kept my eyes closed.

"And you've been close to each other. Real close."

My eyes snapped open and I spun around in the tub in surprise. "How do you know?" I asked in bewilderment.

Martha's cheeks turned slightly pink and she let her arm sink into her lap. "Uhm...I changed the sheets and couldn't help but notice. I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you." she muttered.

"You didn't." I tried to reassure her and she smiled again.

"So if I dare to ask, how was it?"

I sighed and let my back rest against the tub again. "Wonderful. I love him. And he's got gentle hands."

We both started giggling at that and I asked: "Have you ever been with a man, Martha?"

I could feel her stiffen behind me and frowned. "Only once." she muttered, barely audible and I opened my eyes again to look at her.

"And did he have gentle hands too?"

Martha inhaled deeply and I noticed a single tear slip from her eye before she answered. "His hands felt hard when he beat me."

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh Martha, I...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have asked."

"You didn't know."

"No... but Martha you have to tell me who it is, I will make my brother punish him for hurting you."

"No, please Lilly, you must never tell anyone about this. My mother...she would never forgive me if she found out that I'm not a maiden anymore...and it doesn't matter, he's dead already."

"But..."

"No, Lilly please, I beg you to not tell anyone." she pleaded and her eyes welled up again. I gave a short nod and leaned over the tub to grab her hands.

"No one is going to beat you again Martha, I promise. Or I'll let Jali cook him alive."

Martha shook her head slightly and managed a small smile. "Turn around Lilly, I need to wash the oil out of your hair."

I let myself slide down into the water again and leaned my head back. Closing my eyes I let Martha wash my hair when suddenly she pressed a little to hard on my head and water filled my nose as my head was pushed under.   
Instantly my eyes snapped open and I opened my mouth to scream but instead of air, water was flowing into my mouth. Drago was torturing me again, he will drown me this time, I was almost sure of it. Then he yanked me upwards and clapped my back as I coughed out splashes of water, my chest heaving for air. Drago was talking to me, yelling my name, telling me that he's sorry. _What? He won't tell me he's sorry, he would never apologize for what he did. But why...? _

Slowly reality crept back into my panicked brain. Drago's face faded and turned into Martha's shocked one. _Martha? _My vision of the horrid warlord faded and I realized I was still in the same bathtub with Martha washing my hair.

"Oh gods Lilly...Lilly I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to..." Martha breathed heavily and stared at me in utter shock.

I shook my head and gulped down the lump building in my throat as I tried to focus on my breathing to calm my hammering heart. "I hate him..." I panted and locked my eyes with Martha's. "I hate him so much Martha...for everything he did...he's a monster..." My eyes welled up and I felt Martha wrap her arms around my head, pressing it against her chest over the edge of the tub.

"Oh Lilly..."

**Fishlegs POV**

My heart was hammering hard in my chest as the dragon carried me across the lake till we reached the other shore where he dropped me next to a large burnt down building. As soon as I got to my feet I backed away, trying to bring distance between me and the dragon.

_Oh Thor, he's not going to eat me, right?_ I thought as the dragon brought his snout close to my face. I closed my eyes and reached my shaking hand out like Hiccup did when he tried to bond with a dragon but instead of feeling the cold snout touch my palm, I only felt the dragon puff against my skin before he pushed my hand away with a snort.

I dared to open my eyes and lifted my gaze to meet the dragon's blind eyes.

"What do you want from me?" I couldn't help but ask, although I knew the dragon couldn't answer. Well at least I could not understand what he would've said anyway. _Maybe Hiccup was right, having Lilly with us would be really helpful now..._

The dragon growled lightly and pushed me towards the ruin of the burnt down house.

"Alright, alright, I'll go." I gasped and raised my hands which earned me an approving purr of the dragon. Looking down I noticed wooden stairs, overgrown by weeds and bushes that led up to the house. Carefully I made my way up, the dragon always on my tracks. From what I could see this building was bigger than the other huts, which surrounded the lake. The walls had long since crumbled to dust and in their place stood thick beams of wood, blackened and charred from where the flames had licked at them. The remaining pillars at the top of the staircase were decorated with dragon shaped ornaments as well as stars and seashells and I could still see a faint white colour underneath the black dust. This place must have looked stunning before...

Eventually I stepped inside the ruin. Fine layers of ashes covered my boots as I walked further inside. There was almost nothing left of the people's belongings but I could still make out that this hut contained more valuable furniture and decoration than the surrounding ones from what remained of them. It was probably the chief's hut.

I turned to face the silver dragon again. "And now?"

The dragon purred and pushed me to the very back of the house to a place that must've been a bedroom from what I could see. Broken glass lay splattered across the floor in front of a blackened and twisted metal mirror but aside from that almost nothing of the interior was left. I scratched the back of my neck in confusion when I noticed the dragon scraping on the wooden floor a few feet away from me. Then it hit me.

"Oh you want me to look for something, right?" I asked and the dragon gave a short purr which I interpreted as a Yes.

I walked over to the place where the dragon scraped the floor and got to my knees to examine the wooden planks underneath the ashes. It took me a while but eventually I found a single plank that seemed to be loose and carefully lifted it to see what lay beneath. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the dragon sat down on his hind legs and tilted his head as he listened carefully to what I was doing. _Strange, I've never seen another dragon behave like this before. _

Shoving the plank aside I reached my hands down into the hole I revealed and felt around in the darkness. At first I thought there was nothing but then my fingers grazed over something cold and smooth. My eyes widened as I carefully retrieved a chest made of finest alabaster. The cover was decorated with ornaments of different kind of tidal class dragons, I recognized a Scauldron and a Seashocker while there were also ornaments of dragons I had never seen before. "Whoa." I breathed as I let my hand run over the smooth material. The dragon purred again, as if he was telling me to open the chest.

I eagerly complied and carefully lifted the cover. Seeing what was inside I couldn't help but squeal with excitement. The chest was full of scrolls, each of them sealed with the symbol of a different dragon. "Oh Thor, oh Thor, what a treasure this is! A chest full of wisdom of the guardians of dragons!" I rummaged through the chest till I found something else at the bottom. A book. I took it out and flipped through the pages with great curiosity, the script was already fading but it was still readable. Well it would have been, if I only could understand the language it was written in. Disappointment rose in my stomach and I turned to the dragon.

"This is really great, but useless. None of us can read this script."

The dragon rose and growled in annoyance and I quickly shoved the book and the scrolls back into the chest when suddenly another sound drew to my ear. I raised my head to see a falcon glide above us. Now that was strange, we didn't notice any other bird before. My discomfort only grew when the silver dragon growled again, his head also raised towards the falcon. I gasped when I suddenly felt the dragon's large wing cover me, as if he was shielding me from the bird. _What's going on here?_

Through a small opening at the side of the dragon's wing I watched in bewilderment as the falcon landed a few feet away, fog rising around the bird till it wasn't a bird anymore. I brought my hand in front of my mouth to prevent me from screaming at the sight that unfolded before my eyes. Before the dragon stood the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her hip long hair shimmered like gold and her amber eyes held a warm glow. She was wearing a viking helmet made of the finest silver on her head and a flowing white gown along with a cloak made out of falcon feathers.

"Freya." I breathed unable to draw my eyes away from the goddess.

Then she spoke and her voice flowed like a clear mountain stream on a warm summer day. "Dragon. I am here to remind you that one moon has already passed. Two more moons and you have to return to Folkvangr with me. Odin will not allow me to grant you more time. Has the human girl found her way to the island yet like you promised?"

The dragon made a growling sound and the goddess sighed.

"I loved this island with all of my heart and you've always been my most faithful servant. I do not wish to punish you anymore. Dragons are free and mighty creatures, there must be an end to their slavery. I shall help you one more time. Show me the human you're hiding under your wing."

When the dragon lifted his wing and I came face to face with Freya, I thought I would faint. My knees were shaking violently and my heart drummed so hard in my chest that I feared it might jump right out of it. The goddess however payed me nothing more than a quick glance before she spoke to the dragon again.

"Do you believe this human boy can deliver my blessing to the girl?"

The dragon growled again and gave a nod.

Freya turned her gaze to me and I felt like her amber eyes burned right into my soul. She extended her arm and I noticed a golden necklace hanging from her hand. It was the most beautiful jewelry I had ever seen made out of the finest gold and set with amber.

"This is Brisingamen, my fiery necklace. I trust you to deliver this artifact to the one who carries the dragons blood. It holds my blessing which will unfold when it's time. Come to me boy and take it."

I approached Freya with shaky legs and reached my hand out to receive the necklace. "Be careful not to lose it. A horrible curse shall befall you if you do." I shuddered under her intense gaze, her eyes flickered like flames. "But..." she continued and the colour of her eyes grew soft again. "If you succeed and fall in battle, I will take you to Folkvangr with me. You shall be rewarded there."

I gulped, not knowing if this reward was a good thing if it included me dying first. Unable to speak I simply nodded and the goddess gave a gentle smile. "You and your friends must leave now." She turned her gaze to the silver dragon and hummed sweetly. "I'll see you in two moons my faithful servant."

With that she wrapped her feather cloak around her body and I watched in awe as the falcon disappeared into the sky. As soon as Freya was gone I dropped to my knees and let out the biggest breath in my life. "A goddess, I just saw a real goddess." I panted and I could hear the dragon chuckle beside me. "No one is gonna believe that."

I lifted the necklace to my face to have a closer look but the dragon nudged my side, urging me to move once again. "Whoa whoa whoa, alright, alright...I'm moving."

Then I noticed it. Fog was rising around me and across the whole island, thick and cool and white. I could hear the others and our dragons in the distance. They were calling out my name. The silver dragon growled again and pushed me forward. Without thinking twice I let the necklace drop into the chest and picked it up under my arm. The dragon didn't hesitate and took off, grabbing me with his claws once more.

It didn't take long till I spotted the others in the distance. The dragon flew closer and I cried out when he suddenly dropped me. Thank Thor Meatlug was flying right under me and I landed on her back.

"Fishlegs!" Astrid exclaimed. "What happened?!"

"No time to explain, we have to leave. Now!" I yelled back, the fog growing thicker by the second. It was already hard to see the others.

"But Hiccup!" I heard her call again.

"Is not here! Fly up, as high as you can!" I shouted and soon we left the fog and sapphire island behind us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew a long chapter again. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> I did some research on Freya and read that she as the first of the Valkyries got to choose the first half of fallen men in battle to live with her on Folkvangr, her fortress. The rest of the fallen went with Odin. The necklace Brisingamen was made from four dwarves who gave it to Freya after she spent a night with each one of them. The blessing she put onto the necklace will be something I made up for the story.
> 
> So do you think Viggo will keep his word and accept Hiccup?
> 
> What are your thoughts on Martha?
> 
> And the events on sapphire island? Why do you think the dragon chose Fishlegs?
> 
> And how can the dragon know about Lilly, that she even exists?


	68. Chapter 67 - Getting back together

**Hiccup's POV**

I awoke to the strange feeling of something nibbling at my toes. It tickled. With a snort I wiggled my foot to get rid of that annoying feeling. However my eyes instantly snapped open as a sensation of pain rushed through my toes up to my leg.

"Ouch!" I yelped and shot up into a sitting position to see who or what was attacking my foot. "Hope?" I groaned and rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of them. Hope bit down again and this time I snapped my leg away. "Ow...hey stop it!" I scolded.

The little dragon warbled happily and crawled up on the bed to rest her head on my stomach. She looked at me with expecting eyes but obviously content that I was awake now. I chuckled and reached my hand out to pet her little head. "Hey little one, you're hungry right?" I said softly. Hope crooned in approval and wiggled her tail from one side to the other.

The soft sound of Lilly's breathing filled my ears and I turned my head to look at her. She was lying on her stomach a few inches away from me and I propped myself up on one elbow to take in her sight. The fur blanket covered only the lower half of her body, her hair was spread out across her back and covering the half of her face and her lips were slightly parted. I smiled as the memory of Lilly sneaking into my bed last night came back to my mind. Ever since we made love for the first time it was as if we had awakened something - a deep longing that could only be fulfilled when we were together. And neither of us wanted to miss another moment. 

Right then I decided that watching Lilly in a sound sleep was one of my favorite things about her. It was when all the pain and conflicting emotions fled from her features and I could see the young happy girl I met on her island shining through. My heart ached every time I thought about what happened to her.

Carefully not to wake her I pushed her wavy mane aside to bare her back to me. She smelt like a field of exotic flowers from the oil she bathed in. I lifted one lock to my nose and closed my eyes for a moment to relish in her scent. This I could get used to. Sharing each night and morning with Lilly, hearing her soft breathing and feeling her warmth. 

She stirred a little and opening my eyes again I let go of her hair. Slowly I let my fingers run over Lilly's back, tracing the purple scars that crisscrossed over her tender skin like a bizarre ornament. Anger rose in my stomach. She didn't deserve that. How can someone take his pleasure out of such cruelty? I shook my head and frowned. _I need to talk some sense into this guy. Otherwise he will never leave Lilly or the dragons alone._

The question was just how and when I could do that. I promised Lilly not to leave her again. _But we can't sit around and wait for Drago to show up either. There must be another way. Dad and mom would never approve of course, but how can they be just fine with doing nothing?_

Hope nudged my side and purred again, startling me from my thoughts and I sighed. "Alright, alright I'll fetch you something." I swung my legs off the bed and put my prosthetic back on before I grabbed my pants. Once fully dressed I sneaked over to Toothless and Shadow who were both still asleep and tried to be as quiet as possible. I did not want to wake Lilly just yet, not when she finally slept so peaceful.

"Hey bud." I tweaked Toothless' ear only to be rewarded with an annoyed puff. "Oh come on, don't tell me you want to miss a morning flight. And your little one is hungry."

That caught his attention and eventually Toothless got up with a big yawn. Shadow stirred and opened her eyes too but I gestured her to stay. "You stay with Lilly, Shadow. I don't want her to worry when she wakes up. Tell her, Toothless and I went to feed Hope."

Shadow purred in agreement and curled herself up once more. Hope jumped onto Toothless' back and eventually we left the room and headed down the stairs. I put my hands in the pockets of my pants and grabbed hold on a small round metal pendant. My fingers traced the lines of the engraved picture absentmindedly as I remembered how my dad gave this to me after Lilly had left last night. His green eyes had glimmered brightly and since he walked in on Lilly and me he wouldn't stop grinning and although I dearly appreciated the support of my father, it was also annoying and embarrassing to be honest. I inhaled deeply. _Sooner or later I'll do it. I just want it to be perfect. _

But there was still Viggo and I hated to admit it, but confronting him with such a thing was something I'd rather avoid. In fact I was relieved that he didn't come looking for me since I returned. My relief was, however, short lived.

"Hiccup! I see you returned."

I froze dead in my tracks as I heard an all too familiar voice calling for me just as I passed Viggo's office. _Great...just great._

Swallowing thickly I turned to face Viggo, who strolled up to me with his hands behind his back and Fulgur following close behind.

"Uh...hey Viggo." I muttered as he came to a halt right in front of me.

"Your search proved to be unsuccessful then, I assume?" he said casually although I could see in his eyes that he already knew I never made it to sapphire island. However that didn't seem to stop him from asking.

I scratched my neck in an attempt to calm my nerves and answered truthfully. "I decided to come back before we made it to the island. I just couldn't leave Lilly behind like that...it felt wrong."

Viggo gave an understanding nod but rather than getting angry or scolding me like I expected him to, he simply said: "It seems I've underestimated you, my dear Hiccup. I was actually on my way to the forge, would you mind joining me? There are several things I could need your expertise for."

I blinked in surprise. That was definitely not what I had expected. I knew Viggo was not a man who would burst out in anger but there was no reaction at all, not one harsh word, not one threat, nothing. Just Viggo standing perfectly calm in front of me, a small smug smile playing on his lips that unnerved me but aside from that he did nothing to make me uncomfortable.

"Uhm...I was about to fetch little Hope some fish." I said and pointed to the little Night Fury on Toothless' back who was now sniffing Fulgur in obvious interest as the Skrill trotted over to them.

Viggo chuckled lightly. "I am certain we will find some fish on our way. Fulgur here could use a meal too, am I right my friend?" The Skrill gave an approving purr and Viggo beckoned me to follow him as he strolled towards the entrance door. "Shall we?"

A cold breeze made me shiver as we made our way down to the forge. Still after all the days I spent on this island I still couldn't help but stand in awe at the sight of this town. Most of the buildings were made of solid stone and the streets were paved. Berk wasn't nearly as rich as the former hunter tribe, I was used to a way simpler life but had to admit sleeping covered in fur blankets this soft as they had here was something I could get used to. Now I began to understand how hard it must be for Viggo to find an alternate way of living if he wanted to keep up the living standards his people were used to. Dragon trading was a very profitable business after all.

"And your friends? They decided to fly on without you?" Viggo gave me a questioning look as we walked down the street.

I worried my lip as a pang of guilt rushed through me. _Yeah my friends...maybe I was too harsh to them...I hope they are fine._

"They were not really interested in finding the island and have probably returned to Berk already." I tried to shrug it off and silently hoped Viggo wouldn't push further, but...

"Now that seems very uncommon, does it not?"

I groaned in frustration. Viggo would get the answer out of me anyway so I might just as well tell him right away. "We had an argument. I left them."

"Nothing that cannot be solved, I hope?" 

"No...it's just...urgh we had different opinions and the lack of sleep had our temper rise."

"That's unfortunate. But I trust you will get together again eventually." Viggo said and smiled a little. "Ah, see there is Tommen with a new load of fish. Come Fulgur. Toothless." He gestured the dragons to follow him and they did, Toothless warbled happily.

I frowned in confusion. Why was Viggo so nice? If he was mad at me, he didn't show it at all and it almost freaked me out more than any rant of him would have. _What is he up to? _

Eventually we made it to the forge, leaving our dragons behind to let them eat. Stepping inside Viggo instantly started examining different kind of strange devices. Several of them looked like a bellow but the tube would run through a dragon shaped head made out of Gronckle iron while a small wooden container was attached to the bellow. It looked utterly strange.

"What is that?" I asked in bewilderment.

"I'm glad that you ask, dear Hiccup. With this devices we will be able to emit Flightmare mist on our enemies as soon as they set a foot on this island without using actual dragons. It will make them immobile and unable to strike. You surely remember the feeling, do you not?" Viggo smirked and I shot him a glare for bringing this up.

Viggo only laughed. "Oh don't be like that. I quite enjoyed our game we used to play."

I grunted in disapproval but decided not to push further and so I simply asked: "And what are you going to do with Drago's men once they're immobile?"

Viggo's grin grew even wider as he pointed to a bunch of wooden barrels standing outside the forge. "That's when this comes into play. Monstrous Nightmare gel."

I raised my eyebrows in confusion at first when slowly but steadily the picture of what Viggo had planned came together. "Viggo, that's way too cruel."

"But extremely effective."

Shaking my head I tried to convince him. "There must be another way. We need to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. We could..."

"This is my tribe, Hiccup." Viggo interrupted me and narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I will defend it my way. And I will not discuss this further."

"But..."

"This is my last word!" he raised his voice and I startled. "Now would you follow me? I would like to forge a sword for my sister and ask you to continue her training. Will you do that?" he continued in a much gentler tone again.

I sighed in defeat and followed Viggo to the hearth. "Of course I will."

~~~~~~~  
**Astrid's POV**

We were flying for quite a while now and it was still hard for me to believe what Fishlegs just told us.

"Are you sure you've seen Freya? Maybe you just imagined things when the fog started to rise." I asked him.

Fishlegs glared at me. "I did not imagine things, I tell the truth. Freya talked to the silver dragon, called him her servant and gave me Brisingamen to bring it back to Lilly."

"But how could the dragon even know about this?" I was still not convinced.

"I have no idea, Astrid. I just know what I have seen. Are the chest and the necklace not evidence enough for you?"

"I don't know...Maybe we should just get back to Viggo's island. If Hiccup isn't on sapphire island he's most likely there." _Well at least I hope so. _

"Uh guys? I think we might have a tiny problem." Tuffnut yelled from behind us and I groaned in annoyance. _What now?_

That's when I saw it. A large ship was sailing right below us. It had an insignia on its sail that I've never seen before. A setting sun behind a mountain and an eagle flying in front. I frowned. _Who are they?_

"Take those dragons down!"

The scream of a dark haired man startled me from my thoughts and I cried out as a net shot towards Stormfly and me. "Stormfly up!" I shouted and she managed to dodge.

One thing was quite clear. These strangers were no friends of dragons.


	69. Chapter 68 - Back to Training

**Viggo's POV**

"Focus on your defenses Lilly!"

The wooden fence that circled the training area next to the stables creaked as I leant forward. Lilly and Hiccup stood in the middle and I sighed as Hiccup had his wooden training sword against Lilly's neck again. The boy really tried his best but Lilly was still too hesitant.

"You have to fight like you mean it, little flower!"

She groaned in frustration as Hiccup let go. "But I do mean it!" she exclaimed and turned to Hiccup. "It's just I don't want to hurt you, Hiccup."

"Don't worry about me Lilly, just try and imagine I'm Drago again. Okay?" Hiccup tried to encourage her and cupped her cheek with his hand. Lilly leaned into his touch and smiled a little. For a few moments they stayed like that, just staring at each other like some lovesick dorks. I raised an eyebrow and cleared my throat. It was truly annoying.

"As we don't have all day I suggest you two go on." I raised my voice a bit and the two of them startled a little before they got themselves in position again.

"What am I supposed to do with them my friend?" I muttered only for Fulgur to hear who had himself curled up next to me. The dragon raised his head and stared at me with his yellow eyes before he turned his attention to Lilly and Hiccup. He made a sound that sounded very much like a laughter and rested his head back down in obvious disinterest. "You are not helpful at all, you know that?" I added only to hear Fulgur's dragon chuckle again.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that something had changed between Hiccup and Lilly. It was the way they interacted with each other, how Hiccup would wrap his arm around her waist while they walked through the town, how their hands lingered just a moment longer every time they touched. Everything seemed more intimate and less awkward than before. 

If I'd said it didn't bother me, it was a lie. Deep down I felt like Hiccup was replacing me and even more than that, filling parts in my sisters life that I couldn't. She would not need me anymore if she had him. I loathed it. 

But Hiccup made her happy, there was no doubt and I promised her that everyone that gets in the way of her happiness would meet my wrath. _So I must meet my own wrath then it seems.   
_

The sound of footsteps coming closer shook me from my thoughts and I turned to see Eira strolling down the path to the training ground. A wide smile spread on her face as she stepped to my side and leaned against the fence, imitating my position.

"Eira." I gave a small nod to greet her. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"What, can I not come just to spend some time with you?" she mocked and inched a bit closer.

I gave a short laugh. "Yet we both know it is not the reason you came. So what will you have of me, my dear?"

Eira's eyes sparkled and her bright laughter filled my ears. "Always down to business aren't you Viggo? But if you would like to have it this way, I will get straight to the point. My men and I traveled a long way to answer your call for help. Surely they deserve some kind of appreciation for their efforts."

"And that would be?" I asked, my eyes never leaving hers.

"A feast in honor of the isle of Solsteinn who came to secure the survival of your tribe through the winter and a nice warm bed for my men in your best tavern. The cots on our ship can get quite uncomfortable with time." she replied.

I gave a short nod in agreement. "I do trust you will keep your men under control?"

"They won't cause any trouble, I assure you."

"Very well, I'll take your word for it. You shall have your feast. Is there anything else?" I asked, turning half of my attention back to Lilly and Hiccup till I felt Eira's hand brush along my right arm.

"I would have a kiss of you as well." she purred a little too close to my ear.

I inwardly groaned. This was not good. Involving emotions would only complicate things now. For a moment I wanted to slap myself for having so little self-restraint the day before. 

"Eira listen, what happened last night was a one-off incident. I do apologize should I have hurt your feelings but it must not happen again." I weighed my words carefully and dared to look at Eira. I could see her swallowing her disappointment. I felt terrible and for a second the undeniable urge to pull her into my arms overcame me and I probably would have done it if Eira's expression hadn't hardened again. If she had shown any sign of vulnerability just a moment ago, it was all gone now. She let her hand drop to her side and stepped slightly back from me, her eyes falling on Lilly and Hiccup who were still training and obviously too lost in their own world to notice Eira and me talking.

Her lips curled into an unnerving smirk. "You know I heard it rumored that Drago Bludvist is looking for a girl he bought, one he planned on making his thrall and that fled from his ground. In fact a girl that seems to look exactly like your sister." 

I growled under my breath and Eira's grin grew wider as she leant in once again. "It is also rumored that you broke into his fortress and caused quite a mess and now he is plotting his counter-attack against you as we speak. And now I come to your island to find you in full armament as if you are just waiting for said attack to take place. You need my help for more reasons than just food, don't you? My brother's armada would be very useful in combat."

My nails dug deep into my palm as I clenched my uninjured hand to a fist and I narrowed my eyes. "And who spreads such rumors?" I gritted out through clenched teeth.

Eira laughed brightly. "Oh don't be so mad, Viggo. You know how these things work. This is an island and gossip spreads quickly. One trip of my guards to the tavern and they knew everything that was worth knowing."

"Oh by the gods, those garrulous people!" I felt my temper rise causing Fulgur to stir from his slumber and raise his head with a questioning purr. Eira's eyes widened and she startled at the sight of the proud dragon. Apparently she had not noticed him before.

"Viggo there's a Skrill!" her voice rose in pitch as she stumbled backwards and I couldn't hold back an amused grin. Her confidence seemed to melt like snow in the sunlight.

"Oh, I beg your forgiveness my dear, it seems I forgot to introduce you to my new friend. Eira this is Fulgur."

Fulgur tilted his head and purred again but Eira just stared in bewilderment. "Friend? Are you telling me you got a dragon companion now? You out of all people."

I shrugged and chuckled slightly. "Many things have changed in my life, my dear. Trust me no one could be more surprised about it than myself."

Eira shook her head. "So it is true? That your sister has the power to talk to dragons?"

"You have been well informed indeed." I sighed and turned my attention back to Lilly who gladly took Hiccup's hand to get up. Apparently he had knocked her down once more. Then Eira was touching my arm again and I turned my head.

"You know my brother could indeed help you if the terms are agreeable." she spoke in a low voice, her olive green eyes piercing into mine.

"And the terms would be?" I asked, raising my brows.

"Well..." she leaned in an continued in a whisper "...the first term would be that I want you to kiss me."

I breathed a laugh. "Do you think I appreciate your games Eira?"

"Perhaps not." she breathed, her lips hovering way too close to mine. "But don't forget that you desperately need my tribe's help and it just so happens that my brother left me in charge to decide. So you might find it wise to agree to my terms."

_Oh don't try to extort me my dear. _

A loud thump shook us both back to reality before I could come up with an answer and my head shot towards the training place where Hiccup was now lying on top of Lilly. Laughing they stumbled back to their feet.

"Oh by the love of the gods what are they doing?" Eira exclaimed as she watched Hiccup lunge at Lilly again with raised sword.

I cleared my throat and pushed myself up so that my arms were no longer resting on the fence and brought some safety distance between us. "Lilly is receiving sword training. She must be able to defend herself and as you've already heard great rumors I am certain you can tell the reason why."

Eira stared at the two of them and shook her head with an amused laughter. She crossed her arms and raised a brow. "I see your point, but this is no training. It won't help her."

Now that got my attention. Eira was an excellent archer and also very skilled with the sword so what was on her mind? 

"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes still lingering on Lilly.

Eira laughed. "He's not training her, it looks more like he's going to make love to her right here on the trainings field."

"Excuse me?" For a moment I thought I would choke on my own saliva.

Eira raised a brow in a mocking manner. "Come on Viggo, it's pretty obvious. All the half hearted strokes and the rolling around on the ground..."

"You're wrong Eira. My sister is chaste...she's just a girl for Thor's sake." I insisted and hoped she would stop that nonsense but she only snorted in bemusement.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Viggo, but there is nothing _chaste_ between your sister and this guy. I guess you have to bid the little girl you are so fond of goodbye and welcome the woman." She must have seen the shock upon my face as realization slowly crept into my bones because I could hear her burst out laughing.

The way Lilly acted differently since Hiccup returned, their interactions...the puzzle became complete. From one second to the other I boiled with fury. "Hiccup!" I growled and was about to storm into the trainings field to show Hiccup for what a sword is really used but Eira stopped me by putting her hands on my chest.

"Calm down, Viggo! A least for a second. I would offer you something to show my good will." she said.

"And that would be?" I asked, still boiling with rage. "Oh by the gods, I'm going to run this boy through!"

Eira laughed again. "No you will not, because you love your sister with all of your heart an you would not cause her pain." her eyes narrowed for a moment as she spoke those words, but the expression was gone before I could truly make it out. "And I would offer to take over her training lessons. I could learn her to fight...and more."

I inhaled deeply. Eira was right, I would not end Hiccup Haddock's days but there will be a prize. He shall pay a prize for taking my sisters virtue. I would just wait for the right time to come. The last bit of innocence I admired so much was taken from her. _No that won't do now_. Shaking my head I brought my attention back to Eira. "Very well then, you shall give Lilly sword lessons...but don't go too hard on her."

Eira grinned. "Don't worry Viggo, there will be no permanent damage. I promise."

Her words made me feel uncomfortable but I shoved it aside for the moment, still too enraged to give them too much weight.

"Hiccup!" I called out and the boy turned to me, his breath forming to mist in the cold air. "I would have a talk with you. Eira will take over now."

"Uhm...okay." he said and put the wooden sword aside.

**Lilly's POV**

I watched as Viggo wrapped his arm around Hiccup's shoulder and walked away with him. Something was strange about that, I knew the look on my brother's face. It was the one he always wore when he was hiding his true emotions. _I wonder what he wants from Hiccup. _

"So it's only the two of us now."

A voice startled me from my thoughts and I turned to face this Eira woman who walked up to me with a smug expression on her face. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right about her. "What do you want from me?"

Eira only laughed and picked up the wooden sword Hiccup had dropped only a moment ago. "It seems I'm your new trainer for today."

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "But I'm practicing with Hiccup."

"I would hardly call that practice." she pointed to my sword which was lying on the ground next to me. "Now pick it up."

"Okay..." reluctantly I grabbed the sword again with two hands and got in position but Eira only shook her head.

"That's not how you hold it. It's not a big sword that requires two hands, you hold it just in one. Like this. You want to swing it." She showed me.

I let one hand drop and the sword instantly dropped too. "It's too heavy."

Eira snorted in annoyance. "It's not the sword that is heavy, it's you that is weak." she paused to let her words sink in before she continued in a gentler tone. "But don't worry you'll get stronger with time. One hand is all that is needed."

"Why are you helping me?" _  
_

Eira came so close it was beginning to feel uncomfortable and I flinched when I felt her hand brush a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You really mean a lot to your brother, do you know that? I have no idea why but it's..._remarkable_. Just consider it a favor I do your brother."

I took a step backwards to get away from her touch. "You've known my brother for a long time?"

Eira smiled. "A long time indeed."

"Could you tell me about his past then? What was his life like all these years?" I asked, truly curious. Viggo would never talk to me about such things. He always insisted that what happened in the past, belongs in the past but I was curious and eager to find out how he used to live and what made him feared by so many.

"Perhaps I could." Eira's grin grew wider. "It depends on you if I will. Now turn sideways and get into position. Yes like that." She eyed me up and down while she circled me. "If you ever have to fight most of your opponents will be full grown men, strong and without scruples to smash your pretty head. There's no way you have a chance to compete them in strength so you will need to beat them with another strategy. You are skinny, that's good. It gives them a smaller target." She took my sword holding hand in hers and lifted my arm. "Remember your are not just holding a sword. The sword is an extension to your arm, which makes it a part of your body. You and the sword are one. Am I understood?"

I nodded although I was getting nervous. "Yes, I think so."

"Good." Eira walked away from me and got into position herself. "Know this, I will not fight like those savage vikings who would just hack and hammer at you. No. I will show you the delicate way we fight in Solsteinn. It is swift and sudden, almost like a dance. You need to be quick and agile, hard for your enemy to see and even harder to catch. Now you will try to strike me."

I took a deep breath and lunged forward but Eira stepped out of the way with ease and pierced her sword into my back while she grabbed my free arm. "Turn your back to your enemy and you're dead." she hissed into my ear and let go. "Again."

I tried again and this time Eira slapped her sword across my legs in a sudden movement and so hard it actually hurt. I cried out and fell to my knees. That was new. Hiccup always took care to not actually hurt me. Then Eira's sword pierced into the back of my neck.

"Dead." she commented. "Up and again."

And so it went on and on, I got slapped across my back, legs, shoulder and every time Eira would just comment with a short. "Dead." or even "Very dead." at one time where her sword lingered just above my eye.

I was panting by now and pretty sure my body would be covered in bruises. Then it was apparently over as Eira dropped her sword and offered me her hand to get up. "Enough for today."

Glad that I got over it I took her hand and got back to my feet. "You are really good at this." I panted. "Have you ever fought against my brother like this?"

"Maybe." Eira smirked and leaned in. "But know this as a woman you also have other weapons that are just as useful and effective as a sword."

Now that was confusing. "Like what?" I asked.

"Your beauty." she simply replied.

"Is that a weapon?" I frowned even more confused and Eira laughed again.

"Oh, it can be deadly when well used. Sometimes all it needs is a deep look into a man's eyes, a brush across the cheek while you lean in..." as she spoke she did just that and my eyes widened as she brought her face close to mine and then I gasped as something sharp dug into my lower back and Eira's smirk grew wider "...and he will never see the dagger coming."

She moved away as quickly as she leaned in before and I released a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Are you instructing me?" I asked rather breathlessly.

"Would you like me to? There are many more things I could show you." she grinned.

Biting my lower lip I nodded. "I think I would."

"So then, why don't you follow me, there are also some things I bet you are eager to hear concerning your brother's past." Eira purred as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me out of the training ground towards her ship.

\------

Song that quite fits Viggo and Eira is Poison and Wine from The Civil Wars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNlxKH9Jtmc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you liked this chapter. 
> 
> The song for Viggo and Eira is Poison and Wine from The civil wars. Tried to insert it at the end of the chapter. Hope it worked. 
> 
> So do you have any thoughts? Is Eira honest or playing a false game? And what will Viggo do to Hiccup now that he found out about him and Lilly?


	70. Chapter 69 - Robert

**Astrid's POV**

"Up! Up!" I yelled and held tightly onto Stormfly's saddle as she flew higher into the sky, trying to get out of reach of all the arrows, nets and bolas that were aiming for a target all around us. That was when I noticed another ship sailing below us. _Oh fantastic now there are two of them! _

Although the other ship looked completely different from the first one, as if it belonged to another tribe. It was a little smaller, had two dark blue sails with white patterns on them and was equipped with several giant cross-bows to shoot nets and what was worse also with dragon proof cages. Some of them were already filled with dragons who hadn't been lucky enough to escape.

_Dragon trappers! _

Heat rushed to my face as anger rushed through my body. _These bastards! _  
One thing was quite clear, we needed to save these poor dragons. Looking for the others I cried out: "Guys are you alright?"

"So far I guess!" Fishlegs yelled back, pressing the box he found on sapphire island tightly to his chest.

I pointed down on the ship and shouted: "We need to free those dragons! Ruff, Tuff and Fishlegs you go for the smaller one and Snotlout you follow me!"

"And what should we do?" Ruffnut asked with a blank expression.

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "What about what you're the best at? Cause some destruction!"

Tuffnut punched his fist into the air, a wide grin forming on his lips. "Avec plaisir mon ami! Come sis!" And down they went, Fishlegs following close by and mumbling prayers to Thor.

"Come Snotlout, let's show these dragon trappers what it means to deal with dragon riders!" I cried out and Stormfly shot down towards the bigger ship with the foreign insignia on it.

"Who said I agree to your plan! They want to kill us, remember?!" I heard Snotlout complaining from behind and I snorted in anger.

"If you leave me hanging, I swear you'll wish it was them who killed you!"

Snotlout grumbled incoherently but said nothing more. I couldn't help but grin at the fact that Snotlout was more afraid of me than of the dragon trappers. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the twins circling the ship with gas while Fishlegs distracted the men on board. I heard men screaming in pain as the gas was ignited to a big explosion. So far so good.

Now it was my turn. Flying close to the ship Stormfly managed to avoid the arrows aiming at us with great agility. "Now Stormfly!" I shouted as we were close enough to hit. Stormfly shot her spines, hitting one man right into his shoulder. He instantly dropped his bow and cried out in pain, blood dripping from his wound. At the same time Hookfang managed to burn a catapult that was shooting nets.

Stormfly flew in a circle and dived in again to attack once more when I noticed a strange movement in the distance. My mouth dropped open in disbelief. _What the Hel is she doing?! _

I wanted to scream at the madness my eyes witnessed. A few feet away Barf and Belch were flying towards the smaller ship again but instead of dodging as a net was shot right in their direction Ruffnut got up and spread her arms out with her eyes closed. Tuffnut shouted something I couldn't make out from the distance but in the next second they were trapped and falling from the sky.

"No!" I screamed. "Come girl, we need to save those stupid muttonheads!"

Distracted by what had just happened to the twins I failed to notice the dark haired man I saw before running into my direction, aiming his bow at Stormfly's belly.

_Swwwfff_

The arrow flew through the air and pierced into dragon skin. Stormfly shrieked and instantly started to sway. "No no no no! Stormfly!" I cried out, the first hint of fear filling my heart. _This goes wrong, all wrong!_

Stormfly bucked under me, trying to fight against the effect of the dragon root but there was no use. Soon she crashed onto deck and the impact yanked me out of the saddle. I hissed in pain as I hit my right shoulder but rolled onto my side to get to my feet as quickly as possible. I could hear the dark haired man chuckle as he threw his bow aside. Blind rage rushed through my veins at his mocking words.

"It is my pleasure to welcome you on my ship dragon rider." He spoke with a foreign accent, rolling the r, like I heard the people from the southern islands or the mainland talk when visiting the northern markets.

It didn't matter though, I was furious. Grabbing my axe from behind my back I lunged forward and screamed. "You rat-eating son of a half-troll!"

The man however stepped out of the way with ease and my axe buried itself into the wooden planks. I grunted in anger and pulled to get it free again.

He chuckled. "Who would believe such foul language comes out of such a pretty mouth. Is this the viking way to introduce oneself?"

_Oh I'm going to hack you to pieces! _

Freeing my axe I turned to face him again and for one short moment I was struck. He seemed to be barely older than me. A teasing grin curled the young man's lips upwards as he stood a few feet away and let one hand run through his shoulder long black hair. His dark brown armor was holding the same insignia with the mountain and the eagle as the sails on the ship. He must be their captain. I shook my head to clear it and raised my axe again for another attack.

"Leave my dragon alone!" I yelled running forward but again he stepped out of my reach without effort. Gods he is fast. I panted and pulled at my axe once more when I heard him sigh.

"Is this really necessary? I promise no harm will come to you or your friends who are being captured as we speak. We only need the dragons."

"You will not get them! So, yes this is necessary!" I yelled.

Then I dared to look up and saw he was right, Hookfang was knocked out by a dragon root arrow too and Snotlout got disarmed by a group of men. On the other ship Barf and Belch were dragged out of the water with the net and Meatlug had a dragon proof chain curled around her feet. I felt fear take hold of me, but I was not willing to give up. Not yet. _Where is Hiccup when we need him and Toothless?_

"Very well then show me what you got." The young man sighed and drew his sword. It was remarkable thinner and longer than any viking sword I knew from Berk. But it would be nothing against my axe.

I turned to face him and the man bowed a little, gesturing me to go on with a mischievous smile on his face. Grabbing my axe tighter I lunged forward again with a cry of savage rage, aiming for his right shoulder.

My eyes widened in surprise when he blocked my stroke with ease. _What? His sword should break from the impact. _  
He pushed me back and managed to dodge each stroke I aimed at him with practiced ease.

All the while he kept laughing, like this was just a game between friends. "Oh you have temper." he commented.

"How do you do this?" I gritted out in frustration, my cheeks feeling on fire as his honey brown eyes pierced into mine.

"I have a sister." he said as he countered another attack of me, his sword slicing into my leather skirt but hit no skin. "Who has temper. Just like you." He laughed, throwing his head slightly back. "I needed to learn how to defend myself from a very young age."

Then he charged towards me and our fight continued. It almost looked like he was dancing more then fighting, well at least I thought so till I felt the sharp blade of his sword cutting into my left knee from behind. It was so fast I didn't see it coming. Crying out in pain I dropped to the floor and let go of my axe.

The young man sighed and held out his hand to me. "Are you done now?"

I just snorted and slapped his hand away while I tried to get up. "Never!" The cut burned and blood was dripping like a steady river down my leg, I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming as tears welled up behind my eyes. But still I tried to grab my axe again.

"Enough!" The man pushed my axe away with his foot and I could hear the anger in his voice as he called out for two of his men who dragged me up by my arms. "Bandage her wound and then lock her up along with the others and put the dragons into cages." he turned to face me as he put his sword back into its sheath. "I am Robert Frigard, chief of the isle of Solsteinn and you are my prisoner. You will stay on my ship till I decide what to do with you and your dragon riding friends."

"I don't care who you are!" I hissed, my eyes full of hate as I stared at him. For a moment something flickered in his eyes, but it was gone before I could truly make it out. _Did he just look hurt?_

"Take her away." he snapped and soon I found myself locked into one of the dragon cages along with Snotlout who had a nasty looking gash running across his left eyebrow.

"Hey are you alright?" I whispered.

"Oh I never felt better, thanks for asking.... NO of course I am not alright! Great plan of yours Astrid, just great!" he spat and crossed his arms.

Getting angry I was about to retort when another dark haired man stepped up to Robert and I gasped as I noticed him carrying the chest Fishlegs had found. If it was from Freya or not, one thing was quite clear. Whatever was in this chest should not be in the hands of dragon trappers. Ruff, Tuff and Fishlegs were dragged behind him and pushed into the cage alongside us.

"Counting these four dragons to the rest we have enough to meet the quota. We should turn and attack at once." the black haired man spoke up.

Robert waved him off, obviously annoyed. "No Eret, I already told you. We will wait till I receive a letter from the informant. If we are going to strike, she will let us know when the right time has come and warn us about any traps set up on the island."

The man called Eret snorted. "And how are you going to explain this to Drago? His order was quite clear to me! Gather more dragons and attack Grimborn with your fleet, weaken his tribe, so that when Drago took down the Bewilderbeast and arrives with the dragons of its nest they won't stand a chance."

Robert grabbed Eret by his fur vest. "I lead this mission, like you said, this is my fleet. My men. My decision. And I say we wait for the right moment."

Eret shoved Robert backwards and raised his finger threateningly. "Be careful Robert, you may be in charge here but there will be other times..."

"Oh just drop it, Eret son of Eret...the world's best dragon trapper." Robert mocked and Eret clenched his jaw in anger. Robert just laughed and pointed to the chest. "What is this?"

Eret shrugged. "I have no idea. Took it from the bulky blonde one. By the way, what are we going to do with them?" he pointed to us. "Drago is not fond of dragon riders, let's just throw them into the sea."

Robert frowned at this and I could hear Ruffnut sigh next to me. "Ow you were so perfect, Eret son of Eret."   
Eret raised his eyebrows and shot Ruffnut a glare. He was as bewildered as I was.

"Excuse me?" I asked, completely dumbfounded. _Is she serious? _

"I know what your thinking and yup she is turning mad. Got us shot down from the sky screaming _take me." _Tuffnut grumbled, leaning against the cage with crossed arms.

"No, we are not going to kill them. They could prove useful. Especially if they know the other dragon riders." Robert said in a calm but strict voice and for a moment he glanced at me. I quickly looked elsewhere. He should stop looking at me like that. Somehow I had the feeling that he didn't _want _to kill us if we were useful or not.

"Oh, you think you can decide everything here alone?" Eret snapped at him but just as Robert was about to retort we heard it.

A rumbling roar echoed through the air and I grabbed hold of the cold metal bars in anticipation. _I know that sound. Can it be?_

The we saw him, a black shadow racing towards the ship in blind fury. "He followed us!" I gasped and Fishlegs mouth dropped.

"You're right Astrid! The blind dragon."

The dragon shot forward and fired at the ship in blind rage. Men were running around, yelling. Eret dropped the chest to run to one of the catapults. Robert followed close behind. "Let's take this dragon down!" Eret yelled as the mast took fire.

"He's coming to help us! I can't believe it!" Fishlegs exclaimed.


	71. Chapter 70 - Big Brother Issues

**Hiccup's POV**

Something was different about Viggo, I could sense it. The way he put pressure on my shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me almost hurt. I swallowed thickly. _What have I done now?_

"Uh Viggo is everything alright?" I dared to ask as we made our way from the training field back into town.

Viggo's grip on my shoulder loosened and his lips curled upwards as he looked at me. His smile however did not reach his eyes. "But of course my dear Hiccup. My apologies, I was just lost in thoughts." He let go and turned his whole body to face me, his hands folded behind his back. "You must know that although I have sent out several spies to inform me about any uncommon activities around this island, we cannot be certain about how much time we have until we will be attacked. Therefore it is of utmost importance that Lilly learns how to use a sword. She is in need of an effective training."

_Seriously? As if I haven't trained with her just a few moments ago... _I raised an eyebrow and slapped my hand against my forehead as if I had just realized what Viggo was talking about.

"Oh really? Because I totally didn't get it till now. I thought I am just here to show her how to slice bread."

Viggo huffed a short laugh but showed no other reaction to my sarcastic comment, which was rather unnerving. I would rather have him scowl at me than always being so calm and calculated. It was impossible for me to figure out what was going on in his head and somewhere deep down it freaked me out. 

"Oh do not get me wrong dear Hiccup, I do appreciate your efforts to teach my sister but it seems that whenever you try it ends up being something entirely different." his voice dropped in tone and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"What do you mean?" I let my hand run through my hair. This whole situation was beginning to make me uncomfortable.

Viggo hummed softly to himself and the next words he said had my breath snag in my throat. "I couldn't help but notice how the two of you act different around each other. It appears to me that Lilly can hardly concentrate when you are around. So I presume you paid special attention to my sister since your return?"

_Oh now it's getting awkward_..._but he can't know or can he? _

I laughed in an attempt to hide my nervousness, trying to find the right words. "Well...Viggo... you see we are just happy to be together again...there's nothing for you to worry about. You know that I love her."

Viggo hummed again. "Oh, I would never doubt that. There are many ways a man can love a woman. I wonder if you would like to tell me something?"

"No." I exclaimed a little too quickly, causing Viggo's eyebrows to raise a little higher. He didn't believe me, I knew he didn't. My heart started to hammer harder in my chest as my mind raced about what Viggo would do if he really knew the truth.

"Very well then." he sighed and continued to walk down the street without paying me another glance. For a moment I just stood there dumbfounded before I followed Viggo down the path. None of us uttered another word for a while, the crunching pebbles underneath our feet the only sound that could be heard. My thoughts drifted back to Lilly and the foreign woman, then to my friends who were somewhere out there. _I just hope they are alright. Well they're probably already back home at Berk._

"Eira will take over Lilly's training from now on."

"Huh?" I blinked and shook my head as I realized Viggo was talking to me again. "You mean the foreign woman who talked to you earlier?" I turned my head towards Viggo who was walking beside me, his hands still behind his back. Viggo on the other hand didn't bother to look at me as he continued talking.

"The same. Her skills are extraordinary. With Eira as her new trainer Lilly's development will be only a matter of days."

I grunted in anger. _Well thank you...as if I didn't help her... _

"And what if Lilly doesn't want to train with her?" I grumbled.

"She will. I am certain she will realize that it is only for her best as soon as I have talked to her." Viggo replied, his voice still void from emotion.

"Oh and of course you always know what is the best for her! By Thor, can she ever make her own decisions?" I retorted, clenching my fists hard. I could feel heat rush to my cheeks in anger.

Viggo gave me a sideway glance, the hint of a smirk playing around his lips at my exclamation. "I do indeed, my dear Hiccup and having her mind clouded by romantic emotions won't do her any good."

"So what are you getting at, Viggo? You want to keep me away from her?" I hissed.

Viggo hummed again. "That will hardly be possible, will it not? No, I would not cause my sister the pain of keeping you away from her, but I would like to make you a different proposal. Instead of Lilly, you will train with me."

Now that came unexpected. I came abruptly to a halt causing Viggo to stop as well. "With you?"

Viggo released his hands from behind his back and started massaging the wrist of his right hand. "Yes. I am in need of practice with my injured hand. So would you grant me the honor to measure my skills with yours?"

Viggo's request seemed odd. Why would he want to train with me? I frowned and worried my lip for a moment. On the other hand, if I show him my skills then maybe he would change his mind about my training lessons with Lilly.

"What do you say Hiccup?" Viggo's smug grin made me exhale sharply through my nose. He was really getting on my nerves.

"I will..." I began but couldn't finish my sentence as the loud yelling voice of a woman caught Viggo's and my attention. Only then did I realize that we already made it back to the town square.

There in the middle of a crowd of people stood a black haired woman who was probably a few years older than my mother. At first I couldn't make out clearly what she was yelling but it was obvious that she was very upset. Her dark eyes were wide open and her high cheekbones were blushed a deep shade of red as she gestured wildly around the square and screamed on top of her lungs.

I gasped and glanced at Viggo who stood frozen at my side as I finally made out the words she was yelling.

"THIS GIRL IS NOTHING BUT AN ABOMINATION! SHE WILL CRASH OUR WHOLE ISLAND INTO RUIN! YOU SHALL SEE WHAT YOU HAVE OF YOUR CHIEF, ASMUND WOULD'VE NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN! WILD BEASTS ARE WANDERING FREE AROUND, IT WON'T BE LONG TILL THEY KILL ONE OF US!"

The crowd stared at her with wide eyes and I could hear them murmur incoherent words to each other.

"What in Thor's name..." I breathed and looked at Viggo but he was already heading towards the enraged woman. I followed him quickly.

"Agatha!" Viggo yelled and the crowd made room for him to pass. "You will stop this madness right now!"

The woman stopped for a moment and turned her whole body towards Viggo. That's when I saw the dark red cloak she was clutching tightly to her chest with one arm. _Wait a minute, I have seen it before. _

Agatha blinked several times before she started to laugh hysterically. My gods this woman was truly losing it.

"YOU!" she screamed and pointed her finger at Viggo. "It's a disgrace that you call yourself our chief! Listen to my words people, this Grimborn pack will lead us to our end!" She raised the cloak high above her head. "My son! You killed my son because you cheated! But you will pay for this, I swear!"

"Asmund knew what was at stake. He accepted the duel and he lost, there is nothing more to say." Viggo replied. I stared at him bewildered. How could he stay this calm given all the insults this woman threw at his head?

On the inside however, Viggo was obviously boiling with rage. He had his fists clenched tightly and I could see the vein that was running across his temple pulsing.

"What's going on here?" I turned to see Mom and Dad standing at my side but could do nothing but shake my head, not able to wrap my mind about what was going on myself.

An elder woman whom I recognized to be the healer made her way through the crowd, pushing people aside. "Agatha calm down!" she exclaimed but the woman just kept screaming insults at Viggo.

Viggo grabbed the healer by the arm as soon as she reached his side and hissed: "Nanna silence her, or I swear I will do it."

Nanna nodded and grabbed the woman by her arm, whispering incoherent words to her while she rubbed her back with the other hand. Together they left the town square towards the healers hut but all the way the woman kept screaming. "You will pay for this! I will make you pay! You will see! You and your sister!"

All eyes were on Viggo who inhaled deeply before he raised his voice to the surrounding people. "There is nothing more to see! Would you now please all go back to work!"

The people startled a little before they started returning to their daily business, murmuring to each other all the while.

"Is everything alright, Viggo?" Dad stepped forward with a worried look on his face.

Viggo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Nothing I couldn't handle, Stoick." Then he turned to face me. "I will meet you at the training field in two hours."

Completely struck but what I had just witnessed I simply nodded and mumbled a small "Uhm okay..."

Viggo gave a short nod and with that he left my parents and me standing in the middle of the town square.

**Lilly's POV**

"So, you need to tell me everything. Where have you been all these years? When I first met Viggo he told me that his little sister died many years ago." Eira chatted away with me as if we were long-time friends and wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we reached the main gangplank at the port. I was utterly confused by her kindness especially after the hateful glares she shot me when we first met. But well, maybe that was just because I walked in on her and Viggo.

"Uhm, I lived on a small island with my dragons, they saved me." I answered truthfully and glanced to the blue form floating near the shore. Jali. Oh how I wished to jump into the sea and swim with him, but I would probably panic... I worried my lips at this thought, I felt pathetic.

Eira kept on talking but I barely listened to her. I wondered why Viggo seemed to like her so much.

"How did you meet my brother?" I asked, still staring at Jali and Eira stopped walking to follow my gaze.

"One of your dragons I assume?" she asked in return and I shook my head away from Jali as I realized I hadn't looked at her the whole time.

"Yes, I am sorry." I apologized.

Eira gave a small smile. "A beautiful creature. And at a dance."

"What?"

"Viggo. We met at a dance." Eira laughed and my mouth formed a voiceless _Oh_.

"It was at a feast after the biggest dragon auction within ten years to be precise. Only the dragon hunters with the greatest reputation were invited to Rome. Of course your father was one of the most popular among the hunters and your brothers accompanied him. You must know the people in Rome are a whole different number from any others. Their taste is quite unique and they are willing to pay almost any prize for a rare dragon skin." Eira continued as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

My stomach twisted at the thought of all the poor dragons that ended up being enslaved or even slaughtered for the amusement of men. And my father, Ryker and Viggo took a major part in it. "So is your tribe hunting dragons too?" I gritted out, feeling anger stir in my veins.

"Only venomous ones. My tribe is specialized in extracting dragon poison. Can you even imagine all the different kinds of substances you can extract from a dragon? Some are used for healing and others..." Eira smirked widely "...well for other purposes. My favorite will always be the Triple Stryke. Each stinger of its three tails produces a different kind of venom. One has the purpose to numb and paralyze its victim, the second produces a hallucinogen to disorient the victim and the third creates the agonizing sensation of your blood burning. Can you imagine anything more painful than the feeling of being burnt alive?"

My eyes widened in bewilderment at Eira's words but the young woman just continued unimpressed, her grin growing even wider. "Usually we would sell the poisons to other hunting tribes to be used on dragons but sometimes the poisons also proved to be useful when used against opponents. Your brother has been one of our best clients throughout the years."

I narrowed my eyes and folded my hands in front of my chest, I felt sick in my stomach. This was just disgusting! To abuse a dragon for such a cruel purpose.

"Well, he will have no use for that anymore, he stopped his dragon hunting business." I snapped in anger.

Eira clicked her tongue and gave me a pitiful glance. "Ow you poor thing, do you honestly believe Viggo used venom only on dragons?"

I swallowed thickly and shook my head in disbelief. It hurt me that I knew so little about Viggo. _What else do I not know about him? Was that the reason that made him feared? _Somehow I felt disturbed and fascinated at the same time as I imagined all the things my brother would do to an enemy.

"I wouldn't mind using the Triple Stryke venom on Drago." I murmured to myself and startled when I heard Eira laugh. Biting my lower lip I glanced down on the wooden planks, I didn't mean to say the words out loud. But imagining Drago squirm in pain made something deep inside me stir, it was a strange feeling that caused my blood to boil inside my veins. _What is that?_

"I see there is more of a Grimborn in you than you realize yourself." she mocked and grabbed me by my arm. "Come, I would love to show you around on my ship."

Soon enough we reached the long-ship lying at anchor at the end of the gangplank and started to make our way up on deck when suddenly I heard someone calling out for me. Wondering who it could be I turned on my heels to see Viggo's first counselor, Magnus, running towards the ship.

"Milady Lillian!" he came to a halt, panting. "Milady, your dragon...the Scauldron..."

"Jali? What's the matter with him?" I ran down to Magnus as quickly as I could.

The elder caught his breath and continued: "I think he is ill, he's acting strange. You need to follow me right now."

My heart dropped and without thinking twice I spurted down the gangplank to my big blue friend. Magnus followed me close by, leaving Eira behind whose features had darkened as she stared after us. She wasn't content at all.

_"Jali! Jali!" _I desperately reached out for him as I stumbled to the shore and after a few dreadful moments the big head of my friend appeared on the surface.

_"Yes, my love?" _he asked and gave me a flustered look. He...seemed to be perfectly fine.

"_What? But I thought...Jali are you sick or hurt?" _I asked, truly confused.

_"No Lilly, I am fine. Why do you ask?" _

Right then Magnus came to a halt beside me, resting his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath.

"Jali isn't ill, Magnus! Why did you tell me that?" I demanded to know and put my hands on my hips.

Magnus straightened and gave me an apologetic look. "I beg your pardon Milady. My knowledge about dragons is very limited and when I witnessed a strange behavior of this Scauldron I found it wise to get you, just in case."

I could hear Jali snort in my head. _"He's lying." _I furrowed my brows in thought. What was this all about?

"Jali says that isn't the truth. Tell me Magnus, why did you come after me?" I snapped.

Magnus sighed. "Alright, you got me. Your brother ordered me to keep an eye on your safety and when I saw you walking with Eira Frigard, I decided to follow you. Under no circumstances should you get on board of a foreign ship Milady."

I let my arms drop to my side, taken aback by Magnus' confession. "But Eira is a friend of Viggo..." 

"One day a friend, the other day a foe. The very first thing you must learn as the chief's sister is that there are very limited people you can trust. Everyone can one day become your enemy."

"But does my brother have so many enemies?"

Magnus came closer to me and lowered his voice. "As your brother perhaps not, but as chief of the most prolific dragon hunter tribe...well he created himself quite a reputation. But that's nothing I am allowed to discuss."

"So it's another secret?" I grunted, turning away from Magnus and started to make my way back to our house. "I'm getting tired of secrets!"

**Hiccup's POV**

I arrived at the training field before Viggo and took the time to let the previous events run through my head once more while Toothless curled himself up under a large tree next to the stables. The woman from this morning was acting totally strange but given she was Asmund's mother her reaction was maybe just a stage of the mourning process. Whatever it was, it was definitely not good for either Lilly or Viggo. But there was something else that made me even more nervous. After Viggo left, my Dad had talked to me again. He wanted to inform Viggo about our proposal for Lilly and I should be the one who got the honor to tell him. Well obviously it was tradition to ask a father, or in Lilly's case her brother first. _Great...thanks dad, I bet Viggo will take it wonderfully... _I thought sarcastically as I let my fingers brush over the small metal coin in the pocket of my pants. _But for Lilly I can do it._

"Hiccup, I am pleased to see you're here."

I raised my head to see Viggo strolling up to me, his sword already in hand. Expecting him to lay the sword aside I picked up one of the wooden training swords only to hear him chuckle.

"There's no need for training swords, my dear. I presume we are both skilled enough to try our real weapons, am I right?" Viggo offered and I shrugged, not pleased to be in this situation at all. But I would play along if it could help to lighten his mood for our upcoming conversation.

"Whatever you say, Viggo." I dropped the wooden sword again.

We positioned ourselves in the middle of the training ground and I drew Inferno while Viggo got into position. For a moment I frowned as my gaze fell on Viggo's sword. Somehow it looked different...

"Ignite your sword Hiccup." Viggo demanded.

"What? But why would I do that?" I asked, shaking my head slightly. This was certainly not necessary for training purposes.

"Just do it. I wish to try something." 

"Okay..." I said and within the blink of an eye my blade was aflame. Viggo hummed in approval and gestured me to make the first move. I inhaled deeply and gave Toothless one final glance, who had raised his head at the sound of Inferno being ignited. "It's okay bud, just training." I let him know and the black dragon warbled in response, as he laid his head back down. One eye however always remained on me. I smiled at the thought of how protective Toothless was about me.

Then I took the chance and lunged forward, raising my sword to strike down only to find my blade clashing against Viggo's. The harsh impact vibrated through my hands up to my elbows and I gasped in surprise when I realized Viggo's blade was aflame as well.

"What the..."

Viggo looked at me with a satisfied smirk and pushed me back without much effort. "You see I liked your fire-sword so much that I made my own. With improvements of course."

I couldn't form words for a moment and just kept shaking my head. That was certainly not what I expected. My mouth went dry as Viggo kept on talking.

"So Hiccup, the time has come now to stop pretending." his voice dropped in tone and he gestured me to attack once more.

I did and threw myself forward. "What are you talking about?" I hissed as our blades connected, the heat of the flames filling my face as I leaned in, trying to push Viggo backwards but by the gods he was strong and didn't move an inch.

Viggo brought his face so close to the blades that I wondered how he didn't burn his beard. "I am very well aware of your nightly activities with my little sister." he spoke in a voice so low that it was audible just for me.

My eyes widened in shock and I stumbled backwards, heart hammering hard in my chest. _So he does know...fantastic..._

"But how..." I mumbled and Viggo arched his brows.

"How did I find out? Well you see I had my suspicions but up to now I couldn't be completely certain. Your face however speaks volumes." he snarled.

Well great...that was not how I planned to bring this topic up but I guess it can't get worse...

Swallowing thickly I raised one hand in a defensive manner. "Alright Viggo...but before you say anything else...you know I love Lilly...I didn't mean to cause any trouble and I..."

"Can you even grasp the depth of your actions, Hiccup?!" Viggo growled and his face twisted in anger. It was the first time I feared he might lose his temper in front of me as he stepped closer with his sword raised. "If I would follow the law of my tribe that would mean that you would be punished for taking my sisters virtue!"

I gasped and quickly raised my blade to block Viggo's stroke as he lunged forward and attacked.

"I could banish you from my island and start a war with your father!" he raised his voice and I noticed Toothless eying us with suspicion. "Or to avoid bloodshed let Berk pay a considerable amount of gold as penalty!"

Sparks emitted as our flaming blades connected again and we both started to breathe heavily. "Viggo please...I didn't mean..."

"Lilly is just an innocent young girl and you took that away from her! You brought disgrace upon my family!" Viggo yelled and his next stroke caused me to stumble backwards, I almost tripped but caught myself in the last second.

Now I was getting furious too. "Well to be honest Viggo, you don't know nearly as much about Lilly as you think!" I snapped back.

Viggo growled and attacked once more. "I know that the last thing she needs is a young boy who keeps on putting reckless ideas in her head!"

"Reckless ideas!? Well you should stop being so possessive of her!" I yelled and this time it was me who charged forward and crashed my blade down. Viggo blocked but hissed in pain as his wrist was bent from the impact. "Seriously you are acting worse than a terrible terror who is afraid someone would take his piece of salmon from him!"

Viggo growled but then he smirked at me in a way that made my skin crawl. "I have enough. This is pointless."   
A hissing sound made me frown when I suddenly noticed green gas coming from Viggo's sword.

"What..." but I couldn't say anymore as Viggo brought his blade down and the impact of the explosion that followed threw me backwards.

I hit the back of my head hard as I fell to the ground and lost grip on my sword. Groaning in pain I tried to sit up only to notice my vision was blurry. I reached to the back of my head and felt something warm and wet run across my fingers. _Oh great..._

Then Viggo was looming over me. "You should take your parents and leave Hiccup." he said in a cold tone.

I felt tears sting in the corner of my eyes from the pain and humiliation. "Viggo please..." I started and in the next instant Toothless was by my side, sniffing me up and down and growling at Viggo when he noticed I was wounded.

"There is nothing more to talk about." Viggo snarled.

"No, Viggo...please...you don't understand..." I grabbed Toothless saddle and hissed in pain as I got back up on wobbly legs. "I...I didn't mean to bring Lilly disgrace...I want to marry her for Thor's sake!"

Viggo's face fell and he inhaled sharply. "Marry her?"

"Yes...and I ask you for your blessing..." I dared to say.

After all I will not do Viggo the favor and give up on Lilly that easily.


	72. Chapter 71 - Escaping the Trappers

**Astrid's POV**

Hel broke loose on the ship the second the front mast took fire. Men ran around, yelling and heading to the catapults while others tried to extinguish the spreading fire with buckets of water.

I clutched the metal bars of the cage tightly. "We need to get out of here!"

"Yeah and what then? Our dragons are out cold, remember?" Snotlout snarled.

"Meatlug is not." Fishlegs interjected.

"Oh yeah as if that is of much help..." Snotlout grumbled, still leaning against the walls of the cage.

"Hey! Meatlug is just as important as all other dragons!" Fishlegs got mad and I rolled my eyes, turning my head to the boys.

"Will you two just shut up for a moment! I can't even hear myself thinking." I snapped at them when suddenly Ruffnut screamed hysterically and cowered herself on the floor. My eyes widened in shock, not comprehending what just happened to her and was about to say something when Tuffnut reached his left arm out of the cage and called out to the guard that should keep an eye on us.

"Please, my sister, this is all too much for her faint heart!"

The guard grumbled and shot Tuffnut a glare. "Why should I care?"

A loud screech caught our attention as the black dragon shot down again, dodging the nets around him and shot his flames down on one of the catapults, hitting one of Robert's men. He stumbled and flailed his arms in anguish as his clothes caught fire and screamed in a high pitched tone that made my skin crawl. Then he stopped screaming altogether and collapsed to the floor as the flames consumed his body.

The guard shifted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and followed the dragon's movements with visible unease. Ruffnut cried out once again, even louder and more hysterical than the first time and the guard turned to Tuffnut.  
"Make her shut up! She will drag the dragon's attention to us!"

"Hardly possible, you should've witnessed her break down when a rat crawled into our hut. It took me hours to make her climb down from the table and stop screaming. My poor, poor sister never had a strong heart." Tuffnut put his hand over his heart and sighed unduly before he pointed to the bottle of water hanging from the guard's belt. "But maybe a sip of water would help to calm her nerves."

The guard shifted from one foot to the other, not sure whether to give in or not. Then Ruffnut gave another dramatic cry and the guard huffed, moving close to the cage to hand the bottle over to Tuffnut. "Fine let her drink, but do it quickly."

I stared at Ruffnut, bewildered. Out of all people Ruffnut would surely not lose her nerves that easily. Then everything went very fast. The guard moved closer to the cage, Ruffnut got up, fumbling with something behind her back and grinned. The face of the guard went white as he sensed the trap close but before he could react Tuffnut reached through the cage and smashed the man's head against the metal bars. A groaning sound left his mouth and soon turned into a painful yelp as Ruffnut's dagger embedded itself into the man's flesh. He fell to the ground with a low thud.

My eyes went wide with shock as I stared at the twins. "Did you just...?"

"Manage to get us the keys? Yes we did." Tuffnut grinned as he undid the keys from the guards belt, swinging it back and forth in front of my eyes.

"You really should have more trust in the Thorston twintuition Astrid." Ruffnut stated, wiping blood from her blade.

"Wait did you just pull that from your...you know." Snotlout interjected, pointing to Ruffnut's backside.

She just shrugged. "You gotta find places where no one would look."

"Oh please let's not deepen that. Let's just get out of that cage and find our dragons!" I exclaimed, wrinkling my nose at the thought were Ruffnut used to hide her dagger.

The black dragon flew in a big circle around the ship and out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed the man called Eret aiming at the dragon with a catapult. He fired and the net whistled through the air and this time it would hit, I knew it would. _Please no..._

A flash of blue fire hit the net just in time, burning it to dust and the flapping sound of large wings filled the air. The silver dragon. _He came too!_

"Quick now!" I gasped as Tuffnut fumbled around with the lock. Finally the cage opened and I stumbled out on deck. By the gods, my knee burned. I could hardly walk. This was bad, I had not expected it to hurt that much as the cut seemed to be not too deep.

"Come, hold on to my shoulder!" Snotlout offered and I thankfully obeyed.

"Thanks." I mumbled. It was really a rare occasion that I would be grateful for something Snotlout did.

Both dragons shot down and let their fiery breath rain down on the ship. Men screamed and dropped to the ground, trying to crawl for safety from the flames. More arrows shot through the air and from somewhere came a wordless, frustrated shout and the sound of running footsteps.

"Over there, look!" came the call of Fishlegs.

My eyes followed the direction Fishlegs' arm pointed and widened in surprise. The silver dragon charged at Eret's ship, aiming at the dragon cages and his blue flames burned through the metal, freeing the dragons that were trapped inside. One by one took off into the air and with a triumphant roar joined into the battle of dragons against men.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs exclaimed as the gronckle flew towards us, tongue hanging from her mouth. In no time at all Fishlegs was on her back and up in the air. "Come girl, we need to get the chest back!"

"The prisoners are free!"

"Shit." Snotlout groaned as a grim looking trapper stepped into our way, calling out for his fellows.

"We need our weapons." I hissed in pain as I tried to put weight on my injured leg.

Snotlout bent forward to grab the sword of the fallen guard but the trapper charged at us with raised blade before we could react. I gasped and raised my arm to block the stroke with my bare hands if necessary to prevent the blade to hit any life-threatening body parts.

The stroke however never came. A whistling sound drew to my ear and the trapper stopped dead in his tracks, a blade buried into the back of his throat and protuding at the front. Blood gushed from the wound and spurted onto the wooden planks as the man fell face forward. He was gone.

Breathing heavily I tried to figure out who had thrown the dagger. I looked up and found Ruffnut standing a few steps away from us. Her face was slightly pale, as if she couldn't believe herself what she just did, her chest heaving and breathing ragged. Our eyes met and she gave a short nod before she spurted after Tuffnut to the remaining dragon cages on this ship.

The silver dragon roared and the sound of it vibrated through the sky. He shot down and fired at the cages containing our dragons. I gasped, worried that the blue flame could harm Stormfly as she was still unconscious. These worries however proved to be unnecessary. My mouth dropped open as I saw Stormfly jump to her feet and spread her wings as she emerged from the cage. Somehow the blue flames must have a curing effect on her and the other dragons.

A cracking sound caught my attention and for a moment I turned my head. Flames were building all around us, the front mast was completely engulfed by now and creaked threateningly. It wouldn't take long for it to break down. _This whole ship is going to sink. _

"Snotlout we better get out of here!"

"Couldn't agree more! Hookfang!" Snotlout yelled and dragged me with him as we made our way to our dragons.

More dragons were attacking the ship by now and chaos broke out around us. Robert's and Eret's men were running around, screaming and yelling, trying to hide from the flames that spread with a merciless speed. Hookfang and Stormfly ran up to us and I sighed in relief.

"Stormfly!" I hugged her snout and she gave a happy purr before I pulled myself up into the saddle, gritting my teeth in pain. "Get us out of here girl!"

Soon enough we were up in the air, leaving the burning Hel of a ship below us. I looked around to see if the others made it out and was eased when I noticed that they had. Fishlegs had even managed to claim the chest back, given that Eret didn't pay any attention to the artifact while the battle was still ongoing.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Robert gestured wildly for his men to get off the ship and turned to Eret who was still grabbing tightly onto the catapult, not willing to accept their defeat. "Eret! Come, this is pointless! We need to get into the boats before the flames get them!"

"No! I will take that bastard of a dragon down!" Eret yelled back, trying to aim for the silver dragon who circled the ship.

"No Eret, come..." A loud crack filled the air cutting Robert's words off and I gasped as I saw the front mast bending over, surely it would crash down any second. _It will hit him! _

Without thinking twice I told Stormfly to dive down.

The young chiefs eyes widened in terror and he tried to jump out of the way as the flaming mast came down. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Robert cried out, shielding his face with his arms. Then Stormfly grabbed him with her claws dragging him to safe ground. A loud crash followed. Heat was all around me and I hissed as I several sparks hit my face, burning into my skin.

Stormfly dropped Robert a few feet away. The young man landed on his backside and stared up at us in utter disbelief. "You...you just saved my life..." he panted.

"Well, don't let it get to your head." I remarked coldly, not sure why I did save him myself. _He's just a dragon trapper, why would I even care. _

"Astrid!" Tuffnut called out for me and I looked up to see the others circling the sinking ship, waiting for me. I was about to get up in the air when suddenly a net wrapped itself around Stormfly and me. "No!" I yelled and tried to yank it off.

The man called Eret stepped forward and pointed his sword at me with a smug grin on his face. "You are going to stay here blondie, as well as your dragon!"

I growled in fury but found myself dumbfounded in the next second. Robert jumped to his feet, drawing his sword and cut the net to free Stormfly and me.

"Stop it Eret. We let them go." he said in a calm tone, locking eyes with me.

"Are you mad Robert? Drago will..."

"I will take the blame for this when it comes to Drago. But now I will do what is right. One life for another. I will let you and your friends go." Robert's voice sounded sincere.

Giving a short nod I got up in the air. This was certainly not what I expected and I didn't know how I should feel about this.

"What happened?" Fishlegs appeared at my side.

"He let's us go." I mumbled, still not able to wrap my mind around it.

The others exchanged bewildered glances but we considered it the best to not challenge our fortune and got our dragons higher up in the air. The two blind dragons as well as all the freed ones followed us close by.

I dared to glance at the mighty silver dragon who was right next to Stormfly and decided to let her fly a little closer. "Hey...uhm..." I said and the dragon turned his head in my direction. It was strange to look into blind eyes but I continued anyway. "You and your friend saved us...so thank you."

The dragon gave a rumbling sound that reminded me a lot of waves breaking at the shore and I could swear he just winked at me. _Okay no__w __I must be losing it. Dragons don't wink at someone, or do they?_

"You will never hold onto those dragons, you hear me?! Drago is coming for them all! He will destroy you!" the voice of Eret shook me from my thoughts and the silver dragon growled lowly, his black companion imitating the sound as we brought distance between us and the dragon trappers.  
  


We were flying for a while now, the other dragons followed us the whole time. Some were flying round in circles or diving up and down, seemingly overjoyed by being free again. I smiled at that and Stormfly purred in joy as another Nadder flew right next to us, nudging Stormfly's side.

"Hey guys...what now?" Ruffnut asked after a while.

"Let's better head back to Viggo's island. We need to warn him about the trappers and I need to bring this to Lilly." Fishlegs stated, pointing to the chest resting on his lap.

"And don't forget the huge armada that is taking course to his island, I bet he would like to know about this." Tuffnut added, pointing down to the ocean.

_What is he talking about, there were just two ships... _"Oh by Odin!" I gasped as I brought my gaze down. Below us sailed at least three dozen heavily armed ships with the same insignia on their sails as on Robert's ship.

The black dragon growled again and I spoke out loud. "Yeah I agree, this is going to be bad." and turning to the others I added "Let's hurry we need to get back to Viggo before they do!"


	73. Chapter 72 - Agreements

**Lilly's POV**

The late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky as I made my way back from the port to our house. I tugged my hair behind my ear and wrapped my arms tightly around my body as a chilly breeze made me shiver. Why does it have to get so cold here? How blessed I was at my island where the waters would always stay warm throughout the year. But what lies in the past, is in the past. This is my home now. I let out a sigh as I let my gaze wander to the people passing by. A plump woman was tugging a large handcart full of different fish along the street. Food for the dragons.

"Out of the way! A cart of fish is coming through!" I jumped a little and stepped to the side. The woman shot me a strange glance as she walked by. _Yeah, thanks for staring at me. _I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. What made it worse was that she was not the only one staring at me. Several men I recognized as Eira's crew passed me by, carrying vessels of different sizes as well as baskets full of vegetables and sacks filled with grains to our storehouse. They eyed me with unconcealed interest and I quickened my pace to get away from the staring. This was so awkward, will it ever stop? For now Viggo, Martha and Nanna were the only ones that made me feel like I would belong here and I had my doubts if that would ever change. I inhaled deeply through my nose when I noticed the sound of footsteps following me close by.

For a while I tried to ignore them and picked up my pace, but the footsteps just followed. My heart started to pound faster, who was chasing me? Dread filled my heart as I imagined one of Drago's men sneaking up behind me, ready to lunge at me and knock me down. I bit my lip and almost started running. The footsteps came closer and I whimpered, reaching down to my hip to find a weapon only to be reminded that I didn't have one yet. If I only had a sword. No, that won't do. _You are learning to fight, Lilly. Have courage and see who's after you_. Before I could make up my mind again, I spun around to see who was chasing me.

"Magnus." I gasped, surprised to see the elder viking a few steps behind me. "Why are you following me?"

Magnus stopped and rested his hands behind his back, very alike to the way Viggo would do it. He gave me a gentle smile. "Your brother asked me to keep an eye on your safety and I'd rather not disappoint him milady."

Heat rushed to my cheeks in anger and I snorted. "So he's making you my personal watchdog now?"

Magnus threw his head back and laughed. It took him several moments before he found his voice again. "I'd prefer to call myself protector or guard, milady. I usually don't bark." he chortled in bemusement and took a step closer to me. "You should know that the wellbeing of your family has always been of great importance to me. Our chief has many sleepless nights at the moment. It's an honor to know I put his mind at ease by being around to keep you out of trouble, milady."

"I don't need to be kept out of trouble!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up. Anger rushed through my body once more and I felt tempted to just call out for Shadow and leave Magnus standing here. He wouldn't be able to follow me on the back of a dragon. "And please stop calling me a that, I am not a lady!"

Magnus chuckled and arched his greying brow at me. "Then what are you?"

I didn't know how to answer to that. _Yeah who am I? What am I? _Worrying my lips I lowered my head to avoid direct eye contact with Magnus. Why did he keep on staring at me like that? "I...I don't know...I'm just me." I muttered under my breath.

"Just you, I see. " he leaned in a little closer and lowered his voice. "Well it just so happens, that I do know quite a lot about you and your family. Perhaps my presence would be less annoying to you if I told you everything I remember?"

Now that made my curiosity peak up and I lifted my eyes to meet Magnus' blue ones. Something about them seemed strangely familiar. "Please tell me everything." I said eagerly.

Magnus winked, straightened and gestured me to continue walking. "Very well, let me see where to start."

We had only taken a few steps when I saw Hiccup and Toothless approaching in the distance. My heartbeat sped up at the sight of him and I couldn't help but smile. But something didn't seem right. Was he limping? And why did he hold onto the back of his head?

"Hiccup!" I called out and ran up to him. "Are you alright?"

Hiccup startled a little and quickly let his hand drop to his side. Obviously he hadn't noticed me before. "H-hey Lilly, yeah sure I'm alright, why shouldn't I be alright..." he laughed nervously and I tilted my head at his strange behavior. Toothless rolled his eyes and made a disapproving sound. "Bud..." Hiccup gave Toothless a warning glance.

Now that had me even more worried. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I frowned. "I don't know, Hiccup. Maybe because you're acting totally strange and you're limping. What the Hel happened?"

Toothless growled lowly. _"Viggo happened..." _

"It's nothing Lilly..." Hiccup tried to wave it off but the words Toothless spoke told me otherwise.

"Oh stop it Hiccup, what happened between you and Viggo?!" I interrupted him, raising my voice. Hiccup's eyes widened for a second till realization dawned in them. He punched Toothless' side slightly. "Well thank you for nothing, bud." he grumbled.

"Hiccup!" I exclaimed, losing my patience. "What happened?"

Hiccup raised his hands to soothe me. "It's nothing, Lilly. Just a little rough training..."

Toothless huffed, telling me that there was more to it. "Hiccup..." I warned but then gasped as my gaze fell on the palm of his right hand. "Oh my gods, are you bleeding?!"

"What..." he chuckled uneasily and turned his hand to look at it. "Oh that...it's nothing Lilly, don't worry...I just tripped and bumped my head..."

_"Knocked down by the explosion would be more like it." _Toothless growled.

"Explosion? What explosion?" I grew more confused by the minute. What had my brother done now?

Hiccup sighed in exasperation. "Seriously, bud?"

_Oh I have enough of this_! In a swift motion I stepped forward and grabbed Hiccup's hair to turn his head. He yelped both in surprise and pain. "Ouch! Lilly what was that for..."

I just huffed in anger as I saw the still bleeding laceration on the back of his head. "Seriously Hiccup? You call that nothing?! That must be sewn!" I let go of his hair and grabbed him by the arm. "Come, you need to see Nanna."

Hiccup sighed in defeat. "Alright." His bright green eyes met mine and I felt all my anger just melt away like the snow in spring. I brought my left hand up and stroked his cheek. "Why can't you and Viggo just get along?" I whispered.

Hiccup sighed again and glanced over my shoulder to Magnus. Then his voice was in my ear as he leaned down and the vibrating sound of it sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. "I will explain everything when we are alone."

"Okay, then come." With that I dragged him down the street to Nanna's hut.

"Uhm...Lilly, do you know that this man is following us?" Hiccup uttered after a few steps, glancing over his shoulder.

I let out a deep breath. "Yeah, he's my watchdog now."

**Viggo's POV**

The red leather band felt smooth beneath my fingers as I absentmindedly wrapped and unwrapped it around my wrist.  
It was one of the few things I chose to keep safe in the drawer of my desk, unable to throw it away after all those years. Even though I knew Lilly would not approve it, given it was made out of dragon's skin, no matter if it belonged to her before or not. Closing my eyes for a moment, I let my mind wander back to that happy day of our childhood.

_Lilly sat next to me on the soft grass, a few feet away from the ongoing wedding party. Her soft brown dress was splayed out around her feet and her forehead knitted in thought. After a few moments she moved and brought her hands up to her braid. I smiled as she undid her red leather hairband and grabbed my hand. She put her right hand on top of mine and tried to bind them together with all the determination a five year old could muster. I chuckled when she huffed in frustration at not being able to tie the band properly with only one tiny hand and reached out to help her. She beamed at me when I finished the task, her hair flying in the light summer breeze._

_She laughed, swinging our hands back and forth. "That means we'll be together forever, right?"_

_I chuckled and poked Lilly's nose playfully. "Forever, little flower."_

_Her smile grew even wider and she added as serious as she could be at her young age: "Good, because I shall never love a husband as I love you, Viggo." _

_Now I couldn't hold back my laughter and reached out to tickle her. "Oh, you silly girl." Lilly laughed and squealed, drawing the attention of the nearest villagers to us._

A pounding knock on my door shook me from my memory and I quickly withdrew the leather band from my wrist. I shoved it back into the drawer before I allowed entrance.

The door opened to reveal Stoick, like expected. "You wanted to talk to me, Viggo?" he asked as he stepped into the room.

"Yes." I gestured him to sit down. The wooden chair creaked under Stoick's heavy weight and I watched as he tried to get comfortable. Stoick let his hand run over his beard and gave me an expecting look.

"So what's the matter Viggo? Any news from Drago?" his voice was a low rumble.

I folded my hands in front of my face and leaned slightly forward. "No nothing of that sort, Stoick. We need to discuss your son."

**Lilly's POV**

The wooden door of Nanna's hut opened with a creak and the heavy smell of brewed herbs wafted towards us as we stepped inside.

A clacking sound came from the backside of the hut and I called out for Nanna as I dragged Hiccup with me. "Are you sure Magnus feels that comfortable around Toothless?" Hiccup asked with the hint of worry in his voice.

"He'll be fine. If not, he's free to go." I simply said before I called out for Nanna again. But no one answered.

There was another sound, as if someone was rummaging through Nanna's vials and I frowned. 

"Nanna?"

We stepped further into the hut, reaching the cooking area and there was indeed a woman leaning over a shelf, but it was not Nanna.

"Who are you?" I raised my voice and let go of Hiccup's arm.

The woman startled and spun around to face us. Strands of her black hair hung into her face and there was something in her eyes that made me uncomfortable, something that told me she was not truly sane. Hiccup inhaled sharply through his nose and stiffened beside me. I glanced at him to see what's wrong but he had his eyes fixated on the strange woman. A hysterical laughter sliced through the silence like a sharp knife and shook me from my thoughts. The woman shoved something into her apron and approached me at a very slow pace.

I took a step backwards, this woman had something disturbing to her and her face...her face seemed so oddly familiar. "Wh-what have you just taken? These are Nanna's things."

The woman laughed again and pointed her finger at me. "Something to ease my pain. A pain that you caused, you little witch!"

"Excuse me!?" I exclaimed and my heart started to race.

"You heard me!" the woman spat and I had to gulp down a bile that rose in my throat at the hatred that sparkled in her eyes. "You're a witch, an abomination! You will bring nothing but death and destruction upon this island! You..."

"Stop it! I will not let you talk about Lilly like that!" Hiccup wrapped his arm around my waist and took one step forward so that most of his body shielded me from the crazy woman. The woman started to laugh maniacally again and I felt tears stinging at the back of my eyes. _What have I done to her that she hates me so much? _

"Agatha. It is enough now." Nanna's calm voice filled the room and I turned my head to see her walking into the hut, carrying a basket full of fresh herbs. She must have been in her garden. To my surprise the woman called Agatha instantly fell silent and let her arm drop to her side. Nanna strolled up to her kitchen table, placed the basket on it and started to put several different herbs into a small leather pouch. "Here you go. Brew the herbs with hot water three times a day and it should help you to calm your nerves." she explained and shoved the little bag into Agatha's hands. Then she let her gaze wander from my teary eyes back to the black haired woman and clicked her tongue. "I think you should leave us now, Agatha."

"Thank you, Nanna. Now I think I have everything I need." she said in a surprisingly calm voice before she turned and left the hut, but not without shooting me a final glare.

The minute the door closed behind her I couldn't hold back my tears anymore and a strangled sobbing sound escaped my mouth. Hiccup's arms were around me almost immediately and I buried my face into the crook of his neck, soaking his tunic with my tears. "Shh it's alright, Lilly." he rubbed my back, trying to soothe me but I felt desperate.

"No...nobody wants me here..." I sobbed and clung harder to him.

Nanna exhaled heavily and let herself drop onto a small wooden chair next to the table. "I had hoped you would not have to witness Agatha's outburst, Lilly. But know this, it is just her grief talking through her. She hasn't always been this way, Asmund's death is weighing heavily on her heart."

"Asmund?" I sniffed and lifted my head from Hiccup's chest.

"Yes, Agatha is his mother." Nanna said. "Whatever a son may do, a mother will always love him. But now dry your tears, my dear. It ain't true that nobody wants you here." She got up and walked over to rub my back where it was free from Hiccup's embrace. "So, I believe the two of you came to me for a special reason, didn't you?" she asked and I nodded, remembering Hiccup's wound.

Slowly I wriggled out of his arms and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Are you okay, Lilly?" Hiccup asked, still concerned.

"Yes, I think so for now. Thank you." I answered honestly and squeezed his left hand in affirmation before I turned back to Nanna. "Hiccup has a laceration on the back of his head. I believe it needs to be sewn."

"Well then let me see. Come here, boy." She grabbed Hiccup's arm and shoved him onto the same chair she used to sit on just a few minutes ago. Then she pushed his head slightly down to get a better view and Hiccup gasped in pain as she pulled at his hair to get better access. Nanna clicked her tongue again. "My dear boy, how did you manage to get that? I fear it must indeed be sewn. But first I need to clean it." she thoroughly examined the wound, then walked over to a low shelf and reached for a little bottle at the back of it.

"Sword training...I tripped and fell backwards..." Hiccup muttered, eying Nanna's every movement.

"Because of an explosion that Viggo caused..." I added and searched Hiccup's gaze. "You still didn't tell me why he did that."

"He wanted to try out his new sword, apparently he forged himself a fire sword similar to mine and we had a discussion...and eventually got carried away a bit..." Hiccup uttered, but I could sense that he was still hesitant about telling me. Nanna huffed and pushed Hiccup's head back down before she uncorked the small bottle with her teeth.

"Now that will burn, boy." she warned but didn't give Hiccup another moment to prepare himself before she poured the alcoholic liquid onto his wound.

Hiccup clenched his jaw and hissed due to the burning sensation. It must truly hurt him. Without thinking twice, I was at his side and put my hand on his shoulder for comfort. Nanna had walked away again and searched for her sewing utensils and for a while I decided to remain silent. Hiccup was obviously in pain and I didn't want to push him right now. All in due time.

Eventually Nanna returned and held out her needle and yarn for me. I blinked in surprise. What did she want me to do? It became quite obvious when she started talking again. "Well, what are you waiting for Lilly? I think it is time that you take over. You've watched me doing it before."

"But I...what if I hurt him?" I shook my head slightly, not sure about myself.

Hiccup chuckled and grabbed my hand to squeeze it. "I'm already hurt, Lilly. You can't make it worse and by the way..." he straightened and pushed his chest out a little "I'm a viking. I can handle pain."

I rolled my eyes at him and Nanna laughed brightly. "Oh, I really like him." she exclaimed and pushed the utensils in my hands. "I will leave you now, I have the feeling you two have something to discuss in private."

With that she grabbed another basket and left Hiccup and me behind in her hut. "She did know I was sitting right next to her, right?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

I sighed and met his gaze. "That's Nanna."

We both started laughing at that. Eventually we stopped and Hiccup pointed to the needle in my hands. "Uhm...so will you?"

"Uh...yeah, sure." I stammered and walked to Hiccup's backside. Drawing in a deep breath I inspected the torn skin on the back of his head. _Oh Thor, I hope I can do it... _

_"_Hiccup...uhm, you think you could lean forward and rest your arms on the table?" I asked and surprised myself that my voice actually still worked. I had to admit, this whole situation made me nervous.

Hiccup did as I asked, giving me better access. "Like this?"

"Yeah. Okay, so I'm going to start now..." I warned him and raised the needle to his skin. Hiccup inhaled deeply to brace himself and I tried my best to keep my hand from shaking too much. Then the needle dug into his flesh and dragged the yarn onto the other side. Hiccup stiffened and hissed again. "I'm sorry, Hiccup." I whispered, terrified to hurt him more than necessary.

"It's okay, don't worry Lilly. Believe me when I say I've been through worse." He stretched out his prosthetic to emphasize his statement and I nodded in understanding till I realized he can't see me. "I know Hiccup, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." he said gently. "It was all for a good cause."

For a while neither of us said a word, the sound of our breathing the only thing to be heard. I had sewn up half of Hiccup's wound when I decided to bring his fight with my brother up again. "So what did you discuss with Viggo?"

Hiccup brought his right hand in front of his eyes and sighed. "He knows about us."

He didn't have to explain what Viggo knew, I could already imagine. But how did he find out? Hiccup's voice brought me back from my thoughts as he continued. "You can't imagine how mad he was at me..."

"I think I can. I'm just sewing up the evidence." I murmured and knitted my brows in anger at my brother. "He promised me he would respect you, I will have to talk with him!"

"No Lilly, don't." Hiccup pleaded. "Viggo eventually calmed down after I suggested something."

Now that was quite surprising. "And what was that?" I asked, truly curious but Hiccup only chuckled.

"Can't tell you right now, I want it to be a surprise."

**Viggo's POV**

"So all issues are discussed and we have an agreement?" I asked as I got up from behind my desk and walked over to Stoick who was already standing a few feet away.

"Yes Viggo, we have. Everything will be arranged as soon as this madman Drago is taken down." Stoick agreed. "And I want to thank you for your forbearance towards my son. We must not forget, that they are still teenagers and we all remember how that felt, don't we?"

"Indeed." I kept my voice low but managed a small smile to put Stoick at ease. He must not witness my true emotions towards Hiccup right now. Of course, no one would speak about my sister's disgrace when she and Hiccup got married but it didn't change the fact that Hiccup put her into that position in the first place. She _had to _marry him now, for decency's sake. Well at least Hiccup was heir to the throne of Berk, so the union would not be below my sister's status. Not to mention that compared to the plans my father forged for her many years ago, Hiccup was the golden prize. 

Reluctantly I reached out my hand to seal the agreement of uniting the Hairy Hooligan tribe with my own but Stoick obviously had his own way of sealing that deal. Before I could even blink, I found myself trapped into a bonecrushing embrace. Stoick lifted me up off the floor and I hated how much stronger he was than me. _What does he think he's doing? I am chief after all... _

His voice was a happy rumble. "Oh this is just wonderful, now we are even more than just allies Viggo. We are to become a family."

Finally he let me go and it took me several moments to catch my breath again. Stoick just laughed and left my office to go and tell his wife about our meeting.

So now I would just have to wait for Hiccup to ask Lilly for her hand in marriage. I always knew that day would come, even back then when my five year old sister declared she would never love a husband like she loved me, I already knew it. It was inevitable. She didn't grasp the concept of marriage back then and by the gods I'm not even sure she grasps it now. Perhaps Hiccup was right. Lilly lived alone on her island for thirteen years, she has no idea about social norms or laws. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. As if I hadn't too much to worry about already. Drago, Eira, bringing my tribe through the winter, Agatha and all the other people who still regarded Lilly as a threat and disapproved my decision to stop dragon hunting. All this was giving me a headache. And for the first time in what seemed like forever I felt like I needed a drink.

Now giving into alcoholic drinks wasn't something I would usually do. That was Ryker's specialty, not mine. I didn't mind having one or two cups of wine from time to time but I would rather avoid to lose my ability to control my thoughts. I've seen what alcohol did to men, how it turned even the best of them into a mindless fool. No, I would rather not have that. But one drink would indeed be nice.

I closed the door of my office behind me and made my way down the hall towards our kitchen, where Ida used to brew her famous hot, spicy mead.

Martha was at the kitchen table, slicing small yellow turnips as I entered the room. She paused for a moment and her eyes widened a bit at the sight of me. I couldn't blame her, I didn't come here that often after all and so I raised my hand slightly to encourage her to move on.

"Don't let me bother you, Martha. I was just wondering if your mother has still a jug of her spiced mead left?"

Martha seemed to come back from her startled trance and slowly nodded. "Yes, chief Grimborn. But it has probably grown cold by now. My mother served it for breakfast."

"Oh I actually don't care about that at the moment. So the jug is...?" I looked around the room to find it.

Martha put her knife aside and rushed over to a smaller table next to the hearth that held the jug as well as several cups. She was about to pour me a cup but I stopped her by grabbing hold of the jug. My fingers brushed hers in the process and I could swear her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Let me do that, my dear. I do not wish to disturb you." I said calmly and Martha let go of the jug to return to her former task at hand.

I poured myself a cup of the now cold mead, walked over to Martha and leaned back on the table. Watching Martha cut the turnips, I took a sip and inwardly cringed at the taste. Given that this drink was usually consumed when still hot, it had turned bitter now that the spices had grown cold, but I swallowed and took another sip anyway.

"I'm sorry chief Grimborn, it must taste awful by now." Martha shoved the pieces of one chopped turnip aside and grabbed the next one. My eyes followed the movement of her hand, cutting through the vegetable with practiced ease. That did look rather satisfying.

I huffed a short laugh. "There is nothing to apologize for, Martha. I do hope it will ease my headache nonetheless." I took another sip, but this time put the cup down on the table, deciding it was not worth it.

Martha lifted her head and looked at me with honest concern in her eyes. "What is giving you a headache, chief Grimborn?" she asked, then realized she may have arrogated too much and quickly added. "If I may ask."

Chop, chop, chop. Her knife sliced through the next turnip and I pushed myself off the table to walk up to her. She stopped her movements and stared at me with wide eyes as I reached out to grab her knife. Now I couldn't suppress a chuckle at her expression. "May I?" I asked and she hesitantly handed the knife over and her mouth dropped as I grabbed another one of the turnips and started cutting. Oh that actually did feel good, to slice a knife through something.

"Chief Gri..."

"Viggo." I interrupted her and paused for a moment. "There is no need for formalities here, so please do just call me Viggo." Martha nodded and I arched an eyebrow as I watched her blush slightly. I decided that I liked this view.

"So?" I gestured to the small pile of turnips and onions in front of us. "What are we making with these?"

Martha shook her head slightly and came back to her senses. "A stew, for dinner chie...uhm Viggo."

I hummed to myself and gestured Martha to join me. "What a splendid idea. Do you mind me helping you?"

"No, of course not." she replied quickly and walked over to a small cupboard to grab another knife before she returned to her previous task at my side.

"You asked me what caused my headache." I began as I reached for a small round onion and Martha nodded. "The truth is, a lot of things but before anything else, marriage." I brought the knife down rather harshly and sliced the onion into half, imagining it would slice through something or to be more precise...someone else.

Martha eyed me with caution but dared to speak up anyway. "But...surely to marry is a good thing?"

I huffed and brought the knife down with more vigor this time, chopping the onion to shreds. "If anything it's a political issue. One tribe unites with the other, it is well known that the most enduring peace treaties are the one's that are sealed by marriage." Shoving the onion pieces aside I grabbed for a turnip now and cut down without mercy. One could feel pity for how I was mistreating the vegetable, that is if a vegetable could actually feel. "Of course he would fall for her, of course he would want her hand in marriage...how did I not see this coming? Do you want to know what most men demand of marriage, Martha? A title, an heir, a dowry...all things that she can provide."

Ranting on like that I didn't notice Martha had stopped cutting a while ago and stared at me in bewilderment. "What about everlasting love?" she asked timidly and I snorted.

"But of course, that too...how could I forget."

I raised my brows at her but she just held my gaze with that barely visible frown. "You are talking about your sister, right?"

"I am very much afraid that is indeed right." I sighed and finished cutting the last of the turnips.

"I hope I don't dare too much, but Lilly seems to be very happy with Hiccup." Martha said and returned to cutting but I noticed she still watched me out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, yes I know." I grumbled and put the knife aside. Lilly did love Hiccup, I was very well aware of that and it was for his luck. Otherwise I would not have hesitated to let him pay the prize for taking my sister's chastity. But despite all my hard emotions I felt for the boy I wanted Lilly to be happy.

Martha went to put all the chopped up vegetables into a cauldron and lit a fire in the hearth. I just watched her for a while till I decided to speak up again. "And you, Martha, what do you think of marriage?"

Martha who was just about to pour water into the cauldron seemed to startle from my words and spilled herself and the floor with water. "Oh..." she blushed more obviously now and I had to bite back a laugh. It would only have embarrassed her more than she already was. Instead I walked up to her and took the cauldron from her hands to settle it above the fire. She did look rather lovely being flustered like that. How old was she again? Somewhere around Lilly's age I presumed. Not that it mattered anyway, such thoughts would lead me nowhere. Martha may be sweet and caring but not suitable for a bond in marriage and I would not make any advances towards her that would cause her disgrace.

"Uhm...well I would wish for a husband who could provide for his family and wants to have a child..." she stammered, keeping her eyes firmly on the floor.

I chuckled, walked up to her and mocked: "And what about everlasting love, my dear?"

She lifted her head and our eyes locked but instead of the timid gaze she gave me before, her eyes held a playful sparkle. "Oh yeah, that too. I'm glad you reminded me."

I breathed a laugh and reached out to pat her cheek. "You're a good one, Martha. I wish the man who will marry you someday will be able to see that."

With that I left her alone in the kitchen again, not noticing the single tear that found her way out of Martha's eye.   
  
  


Dinner went by fast and uneventful that night. I noticed with a satisfied grin that Hiccup's wound had to be sewn up. Well at least he got some punishment for his actions.

Stoick and Valka were smiling like fools the whole evening and made annoying jokes about the married life but given Lilly's lack of reaction to that, I presumed Hiccup had not asked her yet.

Eventually the Berkians made their way up to their rooms for the night and I decided to escort Lilly to her own. Just to make sure that she didn't end up in the wrong one.

Lilly yawned as she opened her door and stepped into her room. I leaned against the doorframe and watched my little sister as she walked up to her bed. _Well she's not little anymore..._ A painful sting spread in my heart at the thought of her moving away to Berk. I didn't want her to leave, in fact I didn't like how she grew up into that beautiful young woman that she was becoming. I felt like I would lose her forever.

Lilly turned to me with a frown as she noticed I didn't move.

"Will you not enter?" she asked and patted Shadow's head as the black dragon trotted past me and into the room. Hope already asleep on her back.

Her eyes met mine and I gave her a gentle smile. "You should rest, little flower. Tomorrow will be a full day again."

"And what about you?" she asked and walked back to me.

"I still have some things to take care of, my dear." I replied truthfully. This night would indeed get long again.

Lilly worried her lip and knitted her brows before she spoke up again. Her voice was quiet. "Is it true what I've heard brother? That you no longer sleep?"

I breathed a laugh. "Don't worry about me, sis. I only sleep when I'm tired." I poked her nose playfully. "And I'm never tired."

Lilly looked not convinced at all and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Viggo..."

I raised one hand to stop her. "I beg you not to worry about me. I'll be fine."

She sighed in defeat. "Promise?"

I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head before I turned to leave the room.

"Promise." I whispered and closed the door.


	74. Chapter 73 - Grimborns in love

**Lilly's POV**

I pressed my ear against the wooden door and listened for my brother's footsteps to fade away. After a few more heartbeats I carefully opened it, trying not to make too much noise. Thank Thor a small creak was the only sound that echoed from the walls. I stuck my head out and peeked into the dimly lit hallway. No one there. Good.

_"Won't you stay in your own bed again, my love?" _Shadow's chuckling voice resounded in my head. I turned and found her big blue eyes staring at me with an amused sparkle.

_"I sleep better when not alone, Shadow. You know that." _I said, a small smile on my lips.

_"Oh yes, I noticed that you enjoy a special company lately." _her soft dragon laughter filled my ear and I shot her a playful glare before I snuck out of my room.

My feet found their way to Hiccup's room almost by themselves and I pushed the door open to find him lying on the bed on his stomach and drawing something into his notebook. Hiccup looked up and greeted me with a wide grin. "Evening milday, I almost thought you wouldn't come."

I faked a dramatic sigh and walked over to him. "Are you ever going to give up calling me that?"

Hiccup closed his notebook, dropped it on the floor and rolled onto his back to make space for me. He had already taken off his armour and boot and I sat down on the edge of the bed to do the same.

A shudder of delight rushed through my body when I felt Hiccup brush my hair aside to reveal skin. "No, not planning to." he whispered close to my ear, then his lips found their way to my neck, kissing and nibbling and I sighed at it. I was sensitive there, something Hiccup had figured out rather quickly and right now I felt myself growing weak from the pleasurable touch. Why would I even argue?

My eyes fell closed but snapped open again a second later as I heard a light rustling sound along with a soft chuckle from beside Hiccup's bed. I pulled myself away from Hiccup, who gave me a questioning look till I gestured him to look behind us. Toothless had his head rested onto the bed and eyed us with amused interest. Hiccup cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "Uh...mind giving us a little privacy, bud? I'm sure Shadow and Hope miss you too..."

Toothless made a crooning sound and I could hear his laughter in my mind as he rolled his eyes at us but eventually trotted out of the room. _"Mating time seems to be rather frequently for humans..." _I heard him grumble and had to bite back a laugh. Hiccup and I must have been pretty obvious about it.

"Thanks bud, I owe you one." Hiccup called after the black dragon before he brought me down with him so that we were lying face to face. I hummed in contentment as Hiccup brought his hand up to caress my cheek.

"How's your head doing?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"Much better. And what about your nightmares?" he whispered, his eyes showing honest concern.

"I haven't seen Ryker or grandfather in my dreams lately. But there is still his face...it haunts me Hiccup...wherever I go." I whispered back, feeling a single tear drop from my eye.

Hiccup quickly brushed it away with his thumb and brought our foreheads together. I took in a shuddered breath and closed my eyes. I didn't want to be reminded of what happened to me, Ryker and grandfather right now. The images were slowly but steadily emerging inside of me and I tried to fight them back under the walls I started to build inside my soul. Maybe if I only manage to suppress them long enough, they would disappear. That was what I hoped at least, the lie I wanted to make myself believe.

"Lilly don't be afraid." Hiccup's voice was barely a whisper, but I could hear every word. Calloused fingers stroked over my cheek and I opened my eyes again only to find myself struck by the sincerity in his bright emerald ones. "I'm here, nothing can harm you and whatever happens...whatever threat may come, as long as I am here I will not let anything happen to you or our dragons."

I bit my lower lip in order to fight back the tears stinging behind my eyes. "Hiccup can you promise me this?" my voice almost cracked with emotion and I feared my heart would jump right out of my chest as Hiccup leaned in closer.

"I promise." he breathed, lips hovering barely an inch over mine.

Then we kissed. It was gentle, sweet and full of promise. Hiccup's hand left its place on my cheek and trailed down my neck to the front of my tunic and finally sneaking beneath the garment. For a while we just kissed, moaned and sighed as we slowly got rid of our tunics, exposing more skin to our exploring touches.

_"Burn...burn, we're coming to burn..." _

_What? _My eyes snapped open and I pulled my mouth away from Hiccup who had moved to lie on top of me. I stiffened and knitted my brows in distress. Hiccup pushed himself up on his elbows and gave me a worried look. "Hey...are you okay?" he asked hurriedly.

"I..."

_"But wait...we have to wait....wait before we burn...the master says so..."_

I felt like my heart stopped its beat and a cold shiver ran down my spine. _What is this strange voice? _For a moment I forgot how to breathe till Hiccup whispered my name again. I couldn't bear it. Starting to pant, I pushed Hiccup off of me and sat up on the edge of the bed, clutching my arms tightly around my bare chest.

_"Chains...hurt...master says we wait...to burn..."_

The voice was barely a whisper in my head, as if coming from far away.  
_No! Who is this?! _I brought my hands to my face now and pressed hard against my temples, trying to squeeze the strange voice out of my mind.

"Lilly? Lilly!" Hiccup grabbed me by my shoulders, or did he? He shook me a little to bring me back to reality and I lifted my head to see an expression of pure shock written all over his face. "Lilly, what's wrong? Did I do anything...?"

A prickling feeling in the back of my neck caused me to turn and look towards the window. I half expected seeing someone there, but the window was dark. Slowly I let my hands drop into my lap. The voice was gone, but the feeling didn't go away.

"Lilly, please...say something..."

Hiccup's voice shook me from my thoughts and I quickly turned to face him. He kept on rubbing his thumbs into my shoulders in a soothing manner, his eyes however were full of concern. "I...I heard something...a voice..." I whispered and glanced towards the window once more. "Hiccup I think there is someone out there..."

Hiccup frowned, his gaze following mine to the closed window. He let go of my shoulders, leaned over the bed and reached for his boot. Grasping the hidden dagger, he slowly approached the window and I held my breath as I watched him in anticipation. Then Hiccup yanked the window open, ready to attack whoever was out there. But nothing. Nothing but the cold night air drew into the room and Hiccup closed the window again before turning to me.

"Are you sure you heard something, Lilly? There's no one there." he said while he placed his dagger onto the small table next to the window. Then he was back at my side and wrapped one arm around me.

"There was a voice, Hiccup...saying they come to burn..." I whispered, shivering uncontrollably.

"Hey...shhh...it's alright Lilly, no one is out there...I shouldn't have reminded you of Drago earlier..." Hiccup tried to soothe me and I rested my head against his chest. Hearing his steady heartbeat was comforting and calming. The prickling feeling was gone and now I started to doubt myself. _Was there really a voice or am I getting paranoid? _  
It was true, I did often hear Drago shouting threats at me in my nightmares but this voice was different, or was it? I hated myself for it, for being so pathetic and weak and scared. I just wished there was a way to erase all that memories from my mind.

"All I want is freedom, Hiccup...I don't want to be afraid of the night anymore...but I just can't forget...the memories are always coming back..." my voice sounded so weak, I wondered how the words could even leave my mouth. Tears formed behind my eyes, then broke free to run in tiny rivers down Hiccup's skin.

Hiccup took in a shaking breath and rested his head on top of mine. "I know Lilly, it is hard but you are not alone. I will always, always be here for you. You're safe, no one will find you. I promise."

I sniffed and lifted my head to look at him. Our faces were so close to each other that I could feel Hiccup's breath tickle my nose. "Promise me, that all you say is true Hiccup. I can't imagine my life without you anymore...I...I love you." I whispered and bit my lower lip as Hiccup stared at me intently.

Then he cupped my face in his hands and my heart skipped a beat. "I promise, Lilly...I can't imagine living on without you either. Since the day you brought me to your island I felt things I never thought I could before...my heart, it...it feels like my chest can hardly contain it and now I know why. It's because it doesn't belong to me anymore, it belongs to you...and all I wish for is to know you'll always be beside me, to know that you'll share each night and morning with me for the rest of our lifetime."

My voice left me as I got lost in the sparkling depths of his green eyes and my heart pounded so hard, I was sure Hiccup could hear it. Never before had anyone said something like that to me, I felt overwhelmed. Hiccup bit his lower lip before he reached over to the bedside table and picked something up. I watched in wonder and bewilderment as he took my left hand in his, holding the object in his other hand. He inhaled deeply and our eyes met again. "I wanted to wait for the perfect moment..." he began. "...but now I can't think of any better one. Lilly, I would like you to have this."

He turned the palm of my hand, but kept it within his own and placed the small object into it. It was a bronze, coin like pendant with the face of a viking on the left side and the face of a dragon on the right side. I shook my head slightly in confusion. "What is this?" I asked in a hushed tone and lifted my gaze to meet Hiccup's.

He smiled gently. "This was my father's betrothal gift to my mother and after he walked in on us he gave it to me to give it to you."

My heart was racing by now as I stared down at the pendant in my palm. I tried to wrap my mind around what that meant and somehow I had a feeling, but how was I supposed to know for sure? "Betrothal gift? But does that mean you..."

Hiccup lifted my chin with his free hand to make me look at him. "It means that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Lilly. When I look into your eyes, I can see my future. You and me on Berk, living together and working for our dragons freedom. It's not going to be easy at times, it may even be very hard. We're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you. You and me...everyday for the rest of my days. So Lilly, what I'm trying to say is...will you...will you marry me?"

I was left speechless for a moment. Hiccup wanted to _marry _me, to spend the rest of our lives together on Berk and build up a dragon paradise like Valka suggested. And how I would love to say yes, I loved him with all of my heart.  
Hiccup looked at me in expectation and I felt my heart drop. But what about Viggo? Would he want me to go? I worried my lower lip for a second before I answered. "But Viggo..."

"I asked him already and he gave me his permission to ask you." he chuckled and pointed to the back of his head. "It earned me that one. So what do you say?" He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

I smiled and closed my hand around the pendant. "Yes, Hiccup...yes I will marry you."

Hiccup beamed and I copied the wide grin that spread on his face. Then we were kissing again more passionate than ever before and our gasps and moans echoed through the room as we made love to each other. The strange voice completely forgotten for the moment.

**Viggo's POV (meanwhile Lilly sneaked to Hiccup)**

Leaving my little sister to sleep, I walked down the stairs to my office. There was still a lot of work waiting for me. Agatha has caused quite some trouble with her accusations and now the whole town was in turmoil again because of it and not to forget because of the upcoming feast. Preparations had to be made. I allowed myself to sigh as I grabbed the handle of the door. Even though I would never admit it, I missed Ryker. Normally I would leave it to him to deal with people like Agatha, but now I had to do everything myself. The door opened with a creak and I was quite surprised when I found Eira sitting in my chair, her legs resting on the desk. She was holding a parchment in her hand that I identified as one of my plans for the defending mechanisms around the island.

Eira looked up at me, her lips curled into a smirk and I narrowed my eyes at her before I rushed over to pull the document from her hands. "What in the name of Thor do you think you're doing?" I growled lowly but Eira remained indifferent. If anything a mischievous glimmer appeared in her eyes as she continued to smirk at me.

Eira stretched in the chair and put her hands behind her back, causing the fabric of her tunic to stretch as well and I couldn't help but be aware about how it accentuated her chest. "I was waiting for you, Viggo. Almost thought you wouldn't show up at all, but then again you are Viggo Grimborn. Of course you would work till late at night." she mocked.

With a small grunt I turned my back on her to shove my plans into the top drawer of a cupboard standing next to the desk. "And why would you wait for me?" I snorted.

I could hear Eira get up and then she was standing right behind me, her hand running up my lower arm. "I was thinking we could spend some time together, like we used to. I brought a bottle of Solsteinn's best cherry wine, I know it is your favorite." she whispered in a way that I knew was meant to be seductive. I had to bite back a chuckle. _Eira, my dear, you are so predictable._

I turned around and grabbed her arm with my other hand to stop her from touching me before I shoved her to the side and made my way back to my desk. "As tempting as it sounds, but I have to decline. There is still a lot of work waiting for me." I said in a casual tone as I let myself drop into my chair and pulled another pack of parchments out of the drawer. It was true, I really had a lot to take care of and I would _not _let myself get distracted by Eira.

"Well that's a shame." she sighed theatrically and I heard her walk away from me. Hopefully she would just leave. My hope was however short lived as the sound of a bottle being opened and liquid being poured drew to my ear. "I guess I'll have to drink alone then."

I arched my brow at Eira as I lifted my gaze. She settled the bottle back down next to the gameboard of Maces and Talons on the small table across from the fireplace and sat down in the chair next to the table. I watched her take a sip of the wine while she leaned back into the chair, keeping her eyes locked with mine. Obviously she had no intention to leave. I inwardly groaned but decided not to pay too much attention to her and so I grabbed my charcoal pencil and started writing, not willing to give in to Eira's advances.

"I see you still enjoy playing Maces and Talons." Eira was leaning over the gameboard, the cup still in her hand when I lifted my gaze again.

"I do." I tried to focus on my task at hand again, but couldn't manage to write down anything.

"Remember when I bested you at it?" her voice was a mocking sound.

Now _that _I could not leave uncommented. Arching my brows a little higher I met Eira's challenging gaze. "I am afraid you must have dreamed that, my dear. For I remember no such thing."

Eira laughed and something stirred inside my heart at the sound of it. It wasn't her calculated, superficial laughter but came deep from her heart and for the first time since her arrival I saw the young, sweet, funny woman I fell in love with shining through. There was no way I could draw my eyes away from her now, I felt my walls begin to crumble and I was not sure if I loved or loathed it. She took another sip of wine and gave me a challenging gaze. "Well maybe you should prove me wrong." she said and gestured to the gameboard.

_Well a little game would not hurt now, would it?_

Accepting the challenge I got up and took a seat across from Eira. "Let's play, my dear." I said, while bringing the cup, that Eira had filled for me, to my lips. I took a sip and hummed in delight, Eira was right I truly liked this wine.

Eira grinned, put her own cup down and leaned forward to make her first move.

"You are building up quite the defenses around your island." Eira stated and took another sip of her wine when it was my turn to move a piece.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And you should not go poking around in other people's affairs, my dear."

Eira shrugged, seeming entirely unconcerned about her actions and laughed. "Well I am here to help, am I not? Therefore I should know what is going on here." She took a piece - the traitor - and made her move. "Perhaps you should start to trust me."

I studied the board, stroking my beard and huffed a laugh. "Perhaps trust must be earned, my dear." Then I took a sip of my wine. I made my move and ended up claiming her traitor piece. I gave a small smile as I held it up. "Your moves are a little predictable, Eira."

Eira pouted and leaned back into the chair, causing me to chuckle. "Perhaps I am trying to do just that, Viggo. You used to trust me once, do you remember? There was nothing we couldn't master when we were together."

"I do remember very well." I told her but kept my eyes on the board, waiting for her next move.

"I realized how much I missed those times..." she said in a lower voice now and moved another piece. "...and how much I missed you."

That caught my attention and our eyes met. There was honesty shining in the depths of her green eyes, she was telling the truth. I shook my head slightly in an attempt to shake the emotions stirring in my heart off. It was not wise to let myself get engaged in such things right now. "Some things can't be helped." I said.

I made my final move and knocked her Viking chief over. I had won, like presumed and gave Eira a small triumphant smirk. "It seems I remain unbeaten."

"Alright, I admit it. You are still better than me." Eira raised her arms in a playful manner and laughed. I decided that I very much enjoyed that sound and so I joined in. It felt good and relieving and caused another brick of the wall around my heart to crumble.

"My grandfather was the best teacher you could get." I explained after we stopped laughing and took another sip.

Eira nodded in understanding. "Vidar was an extraordinary man. You still miss him?" her voice had softened and her eyes showed honest condolence.

"Dearly." I answered more to myself than to Eira and stared into the flames of the fire burning close to us. Therefore I didn't notice right away that Eira got up and sauntered over to stand behind me. I startled when she reached out for my shoulders and began massaging them but couldn't bring up the willpower to tell her to stop. Her hands were nice and soft.

"My gods you are tense Viggo. You really must have a lot on your shoulders lately." she mused as she kept rubbing at my shoulders, getting the knots out of them. I allowed myself to relax into her touch. It was true, I really had a lot to deal with since our return and it looked like things were not getting better. So why should I not welcome a little pleasure when it was offered to me?

"Indeed." I muttered, feeling tiredness creeping into my veins.

Then she started to kiss at my neck, just above my scars, and that really felt good. She seemed to remember exactly where my sensitive spots were. "Then let me help you relax." her voice was a husky whisper in my ear and unable to resist I shifted in the chair and pulled her into my lap. Eira gasped in surprise and grinned.

"Is this another game of yours?" I asked, stroking her hair out of the way.

Eira rocked her hips against me and I had to fight back a groan. She leaned in and her lips hovered just above mine. "It is..." she breathed and our eyes locked. "...a game of want and wanting."

Then we kissed, forgetting everything else around us.

**Martha's POV**

It was already late when I finished cleaning up the kitchen and was now on my way back through the hallway to get home. Knowing it would be cold outside, I clutched my brown cloak tighter around my body as I walked towards the main door.

A strange noise drew to my ear and I stopped dead in my tracks. I noticed that there was still light shining through the door of chief Grimborn's office and figured he must be still awake and working again. He seemed to sleep so little lately and I truly started to worry about him. _If I only could do anything to help him._

I started to move again when suddenly the door of his office burst open and chief Grimborn stepped out into the hallway. He was however not alone. I quickly stepped back into the shadows, not wanting to be seen, and watched as a dark haired woman came out of the office after him. My eyes widened a little as I recognized the woman. It was chief Grimborn's guest from Solsteinn.

The woman laughed and stroked her hand up chief Grimborn's chest and he returned the laugh before he bent down and kissed her. I clutched my right hand to my heart as a painful sting shot through my chest. My throat tightened and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I hated myself for it. What was I even thinking? Of course chief Grimborn would never notice me in the way I would wish it. I am nothing but a servant after all. Why should he ever consider me as something else?

I remained in the shadows till chief Grimborn and the woman parted and I watched her leave the house while chief Grimborn made his way up the stairs to his chambers. That was when I finally dared to move again and so I left the house, closed the main door behind me and started to head down the path into the town.

Seeing no reason to hold my tears back any longer, I led them fall freely now. The night air was chilly and I started to tremble both from the cold and from my sobs. I noticed the black haired woman walking a few steps ahead of me, but far away enough so that she would not hear my footsteps. I knew she was the daughter of a chief from another island and she was beautiful. In any way possible she was better than me.

A sudden movement shook me from my thoughts and I startled when a dark cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, grabbing the woman from behind. She let out a strangled gasp as the figure shoved her against the wall of the nearest house, holding her by the neck from behind.

My heart started to race and I quickly ducked behind a bush to hide myself. From my position I managed to hear the strange figure speak up. The voice was a silky rumble, obviously male and with a foreign accent.

"What is you ship doing here, Eira? The master gave you an order to wait along with your brother."

The woman struggled to free herself from the firm grip but the stranger seemed to be way stronger than her. Eventually she gave up and hissed back. "The master is a fool if he believes taking down Viggo Grimborn will be easy. He is building up defense mechanisms you have never seen before. It would be a death trap to send our troops right into it."

The stranger grunted. "I don't think our master will see it this way. You still haven't answered me...why are you here?" The woman let out a strangled cry, the stranger was obviously adding pressure to his grip.

"I know Viggo Grimborn better than all of you...I decided to infiltrate his island and get information about his plans...all for the master of course..." she gasped in pain as the figure was hurting her again but continued anyway. "...I will let the master know when the right time for an attack has come..."

"What makes you think he would need someone as pathetic as you, hm? He has a weapon you can't even think of..." he drew a dagger, turned the woman around and pressed the blade to her neck. "Maybe you're lying...maybe you're on Grimborn's side...I should just finish you off." the blade pressed tighter against her neck and I noticed the woman's chest heave in panic.

"No wait...we share the same aims, I swear..." she panted. "...there will be a feast in two days...I made Grimborn organize it for my men...the whole town will be there, that's when you should strike...they will never see it coming..."

The man lowered the blade a little. "And what about the defenses you mentioned?"

"Grimborn has the plans in his study...I could easily get them...he trusts me..."

"Hmm...alright." the man let go of the woman and I watched her rub her neck and panting for air. "You will bring me the plans tomorrow night...do not disappoint me or your brother will face the same fate as this tribe."

The woman's eyes widened in shock and she quickly nodded. "Don't worry Krogan, I will stay true to my word."

My heart was racing and I brought my hand in front of my mouth to prevent me from screaming. _She's betraying him. I need to tell chief Grimborn. _I took a step back but froze when I heard a twig crack beneath my feet. _Oh no..._

The man's face turned into my direction and I started to panic. _Run, Martha, run. _I thought and spurted back up the path leading to the Grimborn house. I needed to get there before...

A rattling sound drew through the air and suddenly something hard and cold wrapped around my neck, yanking me off my feet.

"Ah!" I let out a strangled scream as I fell onto my back and noticed in horror that I had a chain around my neck. It was tight, cutting off my air supply and I tugged at it with desperate fingers.

Then the strange man was looming over me and a chill ran down my spine. His dark eyes were as cold as ice. The black haired woman was at his side and there was something in her eyes that I couldn't place. I started to grow lightheaded from the lack of air but tried my best to hide my fear and glare at her, let her feel what I thought of her betrayal.

"Let's get rid of that." the man growled and I couldn't hold back a despaired whimper. My lungs were aching by now.

The woman had her hands crossed in front of her chest and stared down at me with a smirk. "Let me handle that. You should go back to our master before anyone notices you."

"Alright...but remember my words, woman." he said and she answered something but I couldn't make it out anymore, I started to feel dizzy...it hurt...I needed to breathe...

Then my world went black.


	75. Chapter 74 - A Special Sword

**Viggo's POV**

A shiver ran down my spine as stepped outside this morning. Wrapping my fur cloak tighter around my shoulders I raised my head. The sky was consumed in numerous shades of grey and the smell of rain hung in the air, promising to join us later that day. I let out a deep breath and started to head down into town. Something important was waiting for me.

The town square was already full when I arrived and bustling with activity in preparation of the upcoming feast. I gave short nods and words of greeting as I made my way to the blacksmith.

When I entered the forge, I found it to be in an utter mess. Tools such as the pounding hammer, tongs, buckets as well as shields, swords and axes lay scattered all around the floor. The hearth was still cold, which was very untypical. I frowned and stepped further inside.

"Karl?" I called out to the blacksmith.

A rustling sound came from the back of the hut and one moment later Karl appeared. He had dark circles under his eyes and his short brown hair was tousled.

"Good morning chief." he said and ran one hand over his face. "I'm sorry for the mess, I didn't sleep well last night."

I let my gaze wander around the room once more before I spoke up again, letting my hands rest behind my back. "I was wondering if the sword is ready?"

"Of course, I finished the last details yesterday." Karl let his hand drop to his side and hurriedly walked over to a wooden table that stood next to the hearth where he picked up a sword in its sheath. He handed the weapon over to me and I let my hands run over the handle of the sword. My lips turned upwards in a satisfied smile as I drew it from the sheath. It truly was beautiful, a short-sword made out of gronckle iron and so light that I had the feeling it weighed nothing. The hilt was made out of gold with dark red leather wrapped around the handle for a better grip, the middle of the cross-guard was designed like the head of a night fury with rubies as its eyes, so that it looked like the blade was emerging from the night fury's mouth. The pommel was also set with rubies and the blade was engraved with runes, saying our family quote: Fire in our hearts.

"This turned out very good indeed, you are truly a master Karl." I pointed out and put the blade back into its sheath but Karl managed only a small smile before he let himself slump onto the wooden stool next to the table. He looked utterly exhausted. "Is there anything you would like to talk about?" I offered and took a step closer to him.

Karl sighed and raised his head to look at me. "Have you seen Martha today by any chance?" he asked crestfallen.

Now that was not something I would have expected. "Not yet, but why would you ask?" I wanted to know.

"She didn't come home last night. My wife is going crazy, she fears that Martha has a lover and would disgrace herself." Karl explained, rubbing his hand over his long brown beard. "But I know my girl, that's not something she would do."

I inwardly cringed at the mention of premarital disgrace but kept my expression emotionless. "So you are worried about her wellbeing?"

"Martha is the light of my life, chief. Can you imagine the pain it causes me not to know where she is?" Karl said and his voice trembled with it. I could see him fight to keep his composure. Trying to put his mind at ease I closed the distance between us and put my left hand on his shoulder.

"I can imagine this very well." I spoke in a calm voice, thinking of Lilly. "Perhaps you should consider the possibility that Martha has spent the night with a friend, but I will have Magnus assemble a group of men to search the island for her should she not return till the afternoon."

Karl put his free hand on top of mine resting on his shoulder and smiled slightly. "And I will gladly join them. Thank you chief. All that talk about war has weakened my nerves, I'm starting to see threats everywhere."

"That is perfectly understandable, Karl. I am certain we all feel that way, but we have our island guarded day and night. Martha will be fine, you shall see." I squeezed his shoulder in encouragement before I let go and turned to leave. Karl followed me outside the forge and let his gaze wander around the busy people. The sky was plumed with smoke as every kitchen was preparing for the feast. On this day everyone on the whole island would be able to fill their stomach to the fullest. Karl inhaled the scent of roasted meat. "May the gods give us their blessing for the upcoming time." he said before he returned to his work.

"Yes." I muttered, although I didn't feel like it. How had the gods helped us so far? Where were they when we most needed them? When I have learned one thing about the gods then it was that they were blind, deaf and pitiless. No I would not count on their help, we would need to help ourselves.

I made my way back to find Lilly when the sound of familiar footsteps drew to my ear. Turning my head I saw Magnus coming closer at a quick pace, his eyes dark and forehead wrinkled in concern. We shared a short glance before I spoke up. "You have bad news?"

"Is there any other kind, Sir?" Magnus grumbled, putting his hands behind his back.

"I'm starting to doubt it." I sighed. "Tell me, Magnus. What happened?"

Magnus stepped closer and dropped his voice, so that it was only for me to hear. "We have reason to fear that someone intruded the island."

My heart dropped. "Are you certain?" I growled, grabbing Magnus by his upper arm. He gave a short nod.

"The guard on the west shore discovered foreign burn marks in the forest this morning. They weren't caused from any of our dragons. At first we considered the traces to come from a wild dragon, but then we discovered footprints not far from that place." Magnus whispered harshly.

I clenched my uninjured hand to a fist. "How is this possible?" I hissed. "I had the guards being doubled and watchtowers all over the island!"

"Yes, Sir." Magnus dropped his voice even lower. "I fear the intruder, whoever it was, must have helpers within our own rows."

"Is there no one on this godsdamn island whom we can trust?" I growled in anger and let my hand run over my beard. "Aside from you, Magnus. You have earned my trust more than once. Asmund and Ryker are dead, I would truly appreciate if you would take over the position as my deputy when I am absent." To emphasize my offer, I put a hand on Magnus' right shoulder. It was true, Magnus was the most loyal man I had ever met. He joined our tribe years before I was born and served my father as he now served me.

Magnus gave a faint smile but shook his head. "Your offer is too kind Sir, but I have to decline. I am no hunter as you know, I was born in the shadows. And I feel that is where I should remain. Always at your service, till the day I die."

I huffed a laugh, but nodded in understanding. "I can't imagine you being born, Magnus. Or dying for that matter. But very well, I will accept your wish. Now gather a few men you consider trustworthy and find that traitor among us."

Magnus gave a quick nod but didn't move. I raised my brows at him. "Is there anything else?"

"The people, Sir." Magnus began and I gestured him to speak on. "They are starting to complain...that the chief has no time for their issues anymore. There are several people waiting in the great hall to get their requests heard."

I sighed heavily and pinched at the bridge of my nose. "Alright, I will take my time and hear them out. Thank you, Magnus. Now go."

"Yes, Sir."

I watched the older man disappear into the crowd. This whole town needed to be cleaned of traitors so it seemed. But first I had to do something else. Grabbing the sword tighter, I made my way back to my house.

**Martha's POV**

My eyes snapped open and I drew in a huge, wheezing breath that ended into a violent cough. A terrible pain shot through my neck and throat and I whimpered at it. That hurt too so I didn't do it again, but waited for my breathing to calm down. _Where am I? What happened?_

I squeezed my eyes to slits to adjust to the rays of light that shone directly down on my face and tried to turn my head but it hurt beyond imagination. Panic started to rise in my chest, I couldn't move my head. Maybe I could at least feel my neck to check how bad it was damaged but when I tried to lift my hands I had to realize that I couldn't move them either. They were bound tightly to each side of what seemed to be a small cot I was lying on.

A low chuckle came from the side followed by a female voice. "Don't move too much, you'll only hurt yourself."

_That voice. _Suddenly all the events of last night came rushing back into my mind and if my throat wouldn't hurt so bad, I would have screamed. I _wanted _to scream. _The strange man, he planned to attack our village and that woman...she was betraying chief Viggo. I watched them talk and then...then the man threw a chain after me, he wanted to kill me...wait a second, he wanted to kill me. So why was I still alive? _

Then the woman's face appeared above mine and if I had my hands free, I would have punched her for the smug expression she wore on her face. Her lips curled upwards into a grin. "Krogan has really hit you hard with that chain, you should see yourself. All swollen and bruised...it must hurt so bad." Her hand went to my neck, squeezing experimentally and a new wave a pain rushed through my body. I wanted to sob but even that hurt too much and so I just let silent tears run down my cheeks.

I glared at the woman who just continued to smirk down at me before she let go of my neck again.

"W-wwwh..." I tried to form words but they wouldn't leave my mouth, I felt like the chain had squeezed the ability to speak out of me.

The black haired woman raised one brow and chuckled. "Oww don't strain yourself, its not uncommon to lose your own voice after being strangled that hard." Then she leaned down and brought her face close to mine, too close for comfort to be precise. "I guess your pathetic attempt to speak was about why you are still alive, hm?"

Biting back my anger I simply gave a weak nod. The woman chuckled again. "Well you see killing young girls is nothing I usually do. Krogan's methods are so..." she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "...barbaric and final. But why would I kill you if having you alive can prove to be even more useful."

I drew my brows together at this. What did she mean?

The woman clicked her tongue, got up and walked away from the cot I was bound to. I could hear the sound of glass slapping glass and figured she must be rummaging through a shelf of vials or something like it. Keeping my eyes fixated on the wooden planks above my head I could do nothing but wait for her to return. The planks seemed to sway slightly. _I must be on a ship. Oh gods what if they took me away from the island? _

My thoughts were interrupted when the woman's face suddenly appeared over mine again and put something cold against my lips. "Drink it." she commanded but I kept my lips shut. There was no way I would drink anything coming from _her._

The woman huffed in annoyance and pressed a little harder while her lips curled into a smirk again. "Afraid I would kill you with poison, little kitchen maid?." She paused and laughed when I shot her another glare. "Well I might do that indeed...but not today. Drink. It will help the soreness in your throat and let you talk again." she added when she noticed I still wouldn't give in to her.

Still hesitating I just stared down at the cup lingering just above my lips. I didn't trust that woman as far as I could move my head right now, why would she out of all people decide to help me? So I stubbornly kept my mouth shut. The woman gave a sigh that was all theatrical. "Fine, if you insist on having it that way." Before I could fully comprehend what she meant I found her free hand pinching my nose. The only way to breathe now would be by opening my mouth. I struggled against the ropes that tied my hands down, struggled to move my head away but couldn't due to the immense pain, so I just ground my teeth down hard. I'd rather faint from loss of air again than being forced to drink that.

My struggles continued for about a minute, an awful minute in which my lungs started to burn and my chest heaved uselessly as my body tried to draw in a breath. I stopped my struggles against the ropes, but still held my mouth shut. A despairing whimper crept up my throat, by the gods I wanted to breathe. I _needed _to breathe.

My mouth fell open and I desperatly sucked in air. I was allowed to do this for a few seconds but then the cup was bent and its liquid poured into my mouth.

The liquid burned as it ran down my throat and to swallow was pure agony. Fresh tears welled up behind my eyes and I coughed, spit and choked around the cup but the woman was relentless and didn't move it till the last drop found its way into my mouth.

"That's it." she praised as she put the cup aside and released my nose.

I coughed and was left panting and there was a bad aftertaste in my mouth. My heart hammered in dread of what the woman just made me drink when I felt a tingling sensation spread in my veins. Whatever is was, it worked quickly but somehow it numbed the pain I felt in my throat.

"Wh-wha...what tha...that..." I stammered, the numbing effect of the drink allowed me to talk again but my tongue felt thick.

"Like I told you, just a little something that will help you to talk." the woman chuckled darkly and a shiver ran down my spine at her next words. "Now all we have to do is wait a little and soon you'll tell me exactly what I need to know."

"Nnnooo..." I whimpered in despair. She had drugged me. This can't be happening to me again, I won't betray chief Viggo...I can't do it...not again...

I couldn't hold back the sobbing sound that left my mouth at this. I just wanted to die, at least I couldn't betray him if I was dead. And that woman, how could she? Playing that she's in love with him only to stab him in the back?

Anger and hate shook me and bringing up all my willpower I turned my head just enough to glare at the woman. "Tttrr..." I gulped and tried again. "Ttraittor..." I croaked out.

The woman's eyes narrowed but she didn't retort. Instead she started to interrogate me. "Viggo has an evacuation road planned, where does it lead? And his house, is there any secret passage to enter it?"

"Dunno..." I lied, holding her gaze.

"Well you'll tell me in time." she smirked down at me and leaned back into the chair beside the cot. I did my best to hide my fear but I felt the prickling feeling heighten in my veins as the drug rushed through my system. The face of the woman began to sway before my eyes and I felt warm, so unimaginable warm that it started to get uncomfortable.

"You know..." her voice sounded like it would come from far away. "...I hope you don't fight me too much. I will not be hesitant about using this too." she held up a ruby set dagger with a threatening grin but lowered it a second later to continue in a lower voice. "I need you to help me, kitchen maid. Viggo will die if you don't...and I don't want him to."

I knitted my brows in confusion as I tried to focus on what she just said. But whatever vulnerability she had shown just a second ago was completely gone now as she brought the dagger close to my face.

"So let's try again..." she said with a smirk. "...where does Viggo's escape route lead?"

**Viggo's POV**

I found Lilly sitting on the grass in front of our house along with Valka. Shadow and Cloudjumper were lying close by while Hope jumped up and down in front of Lilly, who laughed at the little dragon. Hiccup and Stoick were nowhere to be seen.

"Are you enjoying yourself, little flower?" I asked with a smile as I approached them, hiding the sword behind my back.

Lilly raised her head and got up. "We're learning Hope tricks. Watch!" she said and turned her attention back to the little night fury. "Hope, turn!"

She made a circling movement with her finger but the little dragon just remained sitting and tilted her head. Lilly pressed her lips together and put one hand on her hip.

"Hope! Turn around!" she moved her finger again but Hope decided not to listen once more and just gave a small warbling sound before she trotted over to her mother.

"I'm impressed." I chuckled, raising my brows at Lilly who crossed her arms in front of her chest and shot me a playful glare.

"Shut up, Viggo!" she pouted "Just a moment ago she did it."

Valka laughed and got up too. "Hope is a baby dragon, Lilly. She will only listen when she wants to."

"Yes, I know." Lilly sighed and turned her attention to Hope who was now lying on her back in front of Shadow and tapping her mother's snout with her little claws. "You cheeky dragon."

I cleared my throat. "Lilly, I would like to show you something."

Valka and I shared a glance and like I hoped she seemed to notice that I wished to talk to my sister in private. She put her hand on Lilly's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I will leave you two alone now and look for Stoick and Hiccup." Then she climbed on top of Cloudjumper and took off.

Lilly came up to me. "What do you want to show me, brother?"

"I have something for you." I smiled as I saw her eyes lighten up in curiosity.

"What is it?" she tried to peek behind my back, but I slightly moved to block her view.

"No peeking!" I chuckled. "Now close your eyes and hold your hands up."

Lilly bit her lower lip as she did so and I carefully placed the sword Karl and I forged into her hands. I gave Lilly the okay to open her eyes again and couldn't suppress the wide grin spreading on my face as I watched her gasp in surprise and her eyes widen.

"Is that...?" she breathed and lifted her gaze to stare at me in bewilderment.

"A sword, yes. I had Karl make it special for you. Go on, take a closer look." I encouraged her to draw the sword out of the sheath. Lilly did so with great eagerness and I chuckled at her quick movement. "Be careful, little flower! Don't cut yourself."

Lilly held the sword up and turned it around in her hand, she beamed and it caused my heart to pound a little faster. Seeing her so excited and happy, did the same for me. "It's so light." she exclaimed. "And is that a night fury?"

"It is and as you are a Grimborn, I decided to set it with rubies too. It's our family gemstone. See?" I stepped closer and touched the little rubies on the pommel. Lilly's mouth dropped open. "Why the ruby, Viggo?"

"It's a symbol." I replied.

"A symbol of what?"

"For our family quote. Look, I had it being engraved into the blade." I let my finger run over the fine runes. "We are Grimborn's, we have fire in our heart. The ruby is a symbol for both, the heart and the fire. I wanted you to have something that would remind you of your family, wherever you go."

Lilly inhaled deeply and when she lifted her gaze I noticed her eyes had become watery. "Thank you." she whispered and I reached out to brush a strand of her wavy hair behind her ear before playfully tweaking her earlobe. "For you my dear sis, anything."

I moved slightly back when my gaze fell on something else. Taking the small bronze pendant, that Lilly wore around her neck, in my hand I raised one brow at my sister. "This is also new, is it not?"

Lilly quickly turned her head away and gave me a sideway glance as if she was gauging my reaction as she said: "It's from Hiccup. He gave it to me...as betrothal gift." Inhaling deeply I let go of the pendant and straightened. So he did ask her already. Lilly was now looking straight at me, sucking her lower lip in. "What do you say, brother?"

"Well..." I sighed but then decided to smile at Lilly. "I doubt Berk has ever witnessed a wedding as lavish as yours will be."

Her face lit up with joy. "You mean?"

"Don't I know how to organize a wedding feast for my sister?" I chuckled and lifted my hands in a playful manner. "It will be the greatest party the whole Archipelago has ever seen!"

Lilly laughed brightly and my heart skipped a beat as I saw tears of joy fill her eyes. "Thank you!" she jumped forward to hug me but I took a step back. "Careful, Lilly!" I laughed as her cheeks reddened when she realized she still had the sword in her hand. She put it back into its sheath and tied it to the belt around her waist. Finally I pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her breath against my skin as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of my neck. "I love you, Viggo."

I pulled away, cupped her face in my hands and gave her a small nosebump before letting go entirely. "And I love you little flower. Now come and join me, I have still a lot of requests to listen to in the great hall and I would like you to take a part in it." I said as I gestured Lilly to follow me.

Resting my hands behind my back I gave Lilly a sideway glance as we walked down the road together. "So tell me, is Hiccup to your liking...in everything?"

Lilly knitted her brows and gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well I know what you two are engaged in so I couldn't help but wonder..." My lips curled upwards into a tiny smirk. "He is a good lover, yes?"

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me flabbergasted. "I...uhm...I think so, yeah...oh my gods Viggo, do you have to ask me that?"

I simply shrugged. "As Hiccup decided to have congress with you before you are married I at least wanted to make sure that he knows what he is doing. He looks so scrawny I had my doubts."

"You are impossible!" Lilly scowled at me as I couldn't hold back my laughter at her face.

"I am just jesting, sis. Ah, we're here." I said as we reached the great hall.


	76. Chapter 75 - Chief Duties

**Viggo's POV**

The great hall was buzzing with chatter of the waiting townsfolk as Lilly and I entered. "Come, sit next to me." I gestured Lilly to take her seat on the wooden throne next to mine at the end of the hall. I wanted her to take part in hearing our people's issues.

Lilly nodded as she followed me through the crowd, but I noticed how she kept her head lowered and worried her lower lip. She seemed to be still insecure around our people and I was determined to change that.

"Don't be insecure about yourself, sis." I whispered to her while I wrapped one arm around her shoulder. "You deserve to sit beside me."

Lilly gave a faint smile but nodded again as she took her seat on the large fur covered chair. I did the same beside her and watched how she let her hands run over the smooth wooden armrests. "Was this Ryker's seat before?" she asked quietly, leaning over to me.

I chuckled at this. "No, my dear, Ryker had no patience for politics. He preferred being out on the sea or on the battlefield. That was his strong suit. This seat was our mother's." I explained and Lilly nodded in understanding though her eyes started to glisten with sadness. "And now I want it to be yours." I added quickly and leaned over to squeeze her left hand in encouragement before I brought my attention back to the people waiting in the hall.

The chattering had subsided to quiet murmurs as the people lined up to get their requests heard. My eyes fell on a brown haired woman carrying an infant and her son standing at the front of the line and I beckoned them to come closer. The woman smiled and pushed her son slightly forward who kept his eyes fixated on Lilly. I wondered if they perhaps met each other before.

"Good day chief Grimborn." the woman greeted me. I recognized her as the wife of one of my counselors, Harald.

"Good day Brida, what can I do for you?" I asked in a polite tone although I already knew what she would request.

"My little one here." she smiled down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "We would ask you for your blessing and to let our daughter receive her name."

"But of course, it will be my pleasure." I replied, waved a servant to fetch a bowl and got up to take the baby into my arms. The little girl whimpered softly in her sleep as Brida handed her over to me and it instantly reminded me of Lilly when she was just a few days old. Welcoming newborn babies into our tribe had always been a painful duty for me throughout the years, but now with Lilly back at my side I could share the happiness of the new parents again.

I turned to Lilly and gestured her to get up beside me with a small movement of my head. "Come Lilly, I want you to witness this."

Brida smiled brightly at Lilly as she peeked over my shoulder to get a glimpse of the newborn. "She's so tiny." she said, her eyes widening a bit.

"Oh yes, but don't worry, I can already tell she's a tough one from the way she screams." Brida laughed while the servant arrived with a small bowl filled with water.

Taking a step forward I commanded silence to perform the blessing. All eyes were on me holding the infant now. Carefully I rested the baby on my left arm while I placed the back of my right palm on the infant's forehead.

"May the great Thor protect you with his strong arm and mighty hammer. May the good mother Freya hold and comfort you and may all blessings of the gods be upon you small and holy one." I reached into the bowl to wet my fingers and sprinkled a few drops onto the baby's head. "With this I welcome you..." I gave Brida a questioning glance.

"Frida." she uttered and I continued with a short nod.

"...Frida as a new rightful member to our tribe." The crowd cheered and I handed the newborn girl back to Brida who smiled from one ear to the other as did her son who shot his little sister a loving glance. Putting one hand on the boy's shoulder I asked: "And what's your name, boy?"

"Sven." he answered and I lowered my head enough that only the boy would hear my next words.

"So Sven, promise me you will take good care of your little sister. They are a special treasure given to us." I muttered and winked at him.

"I promise chief, I will protect her." Sven answered eagerly.

"Good boy. Now go." giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze I let go of the boy to see Lilly stroking the baby's cheek before we took our seats again. First duty fulfilled and numerous more to go.

I noticed Lilly sinking deeper into her chair as the procedure went on and on, her eyes wandering around the room rather than paying attention to what was discussed right now. And how could I blame her? The hall had been almost full with people.

I had just penalized one of the farmers to pay a fine to his neighbor for selling him sick cattle and started to feel tired out myself. That was until a very upset woman with dirty blond hair stepped forward, dragging her coughing daughter with her by the arm.

"And what can I do for you?" I asked with a frown as the woman came to a halt in front of me, letting go of her daughter who seemed to be around eight or ten years of age and kept her eyes lowered to the floor.

"My daughter is ill!" the woman exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well that's unfortunate, but I am sure Nanna will be able to help." I replied, keeping my voice calm although I didn't see the point why that woman came to me.

She just snorted at this. "Yes, I know that chief. The question is why is my daughter ill, huh!? Well I will tell you, it seems that she recently found it not necessary to wear her shoes as a special someone..." she waved her hand towards Lilly in annoyance. "...constantly runs through the streets with her bare feet, inciting our children to ignore their parents and do as they please. And now my daughter is ill, because of you!" she spat the last words at Lilly who had stiffened in her chair and stared at both the woman and the little girl in shock.

"I...uhm...I am sorry...I didn't know..." she stammered and I could see her knuckles growing white as she gripped the armrests tightly.

"Of course you didn't! You didn't even bother to think about it, eh? But as the chiefs sister you should know better, you should act as an example for our kids and not that thoughtless!" the woman ranted on and I gritted my teeth together as anger filled me.

"That is enough now!" I interrupted the woman. "We have understood your point and Lilly will wear shoes from this day on. You may withdraw now." I dismissed the woman with a small gesture of my hand and she grabbed her daughter with an annoyed snort to leave the hall.

I quickly leaned over to Lilly to put my hand on top of hers, she had her jaw clenched tightly and looked like she was on the verge of tears. I inwardly groaned. _Well so much for my plan to make her feel welcomed among our people._

"Lilly look at me." I squeezed her hand a bit at this and eventually she turned to meet my eyes. "It's a lot, I know but I beg you not to worry about it little flower. You will get used to the way we live here again."

She bit her lower lip and shook her head slightly, her eyes glistening with moisture. "But what if I don't? Maybe I will never fit in..." she whispered crestfallen.

"No! No don't you even think like that. Everything will be fine, I promise to do my utmost Lilly. Don't let yourself get discouraged, I..."

"Sir?" a familiar voice drew to my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut in annoyance for one brief moment before I turned my head to see who was interrupting us. It was Magnus. He stood next to our tribe's eldest Knut, an old blind man who was known to be a little confused due to age.

"What is it, Magnus?" I snapped rather harshly. I couldn't stand being interrupted.

Magnus didn't show any reaction to my tone, he knew me too well to be offended that easily. Instead he stepped closer and leaned down to whisper. "I have news from one of our spies, Sir."

"I see." I muttered back and gave Lilly a sideway glance. She eyed us with a suspicious frown. "Well perhaps we should discuss this in private then."

Magnus gave a short nod and straightened before he raised his voice. "I brought Knut here, chief. He would like to talk with you. That would be the last one for today." Then he stepped over to stand beside Lilly, hands resting behind his back. He winked at her when she raised her head to look at him and I smiled a little at this. It put my mind at ease to know Magnus would have an eye on her, it's what he always did for our family.

"So Knut." I brought my attention back to the old man, eager to get this over with for today. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

The old man rested his weight on the staff he used as support while walking and drew in a heavy breath. I supported my elbows on the armrests of my chair and leaned back, inwardly bracing myself. Knut was not known to be a quick speaker.

"Yesterday, the sun had not yet risen, I woke up to a stinging pain in the big toe of my left foot..." he began and I had to bring up all my willpower to not roll my eyes at him. "...now that is strange, I thought. It didn't happen for at least three years but now there I was again. So I got up and did what I always use to do when my toe stings." He had to pause to catch his breath and I rested my head on the fist of my left hand.

"And that would be, Knut?" I asked, fighting to keep up my emotionless face.

"Well first I ate a bowl of soup. There's nothing better to do when the days get colder, it brings life back in my frozen old limbs." he rambled on.

"Is that so?" I uttered and turned my head to Lilly, so that only she and Magnus could see me rolling my eyes and I had to suppress a chuckle when Lilly's hand shot up to cover her mouth to prevent her from laughing.

Knut however didn't notice any of this, he was too occupied with telling his story to pay attention either to us nor to the rest of the townsfolk who were seated along the large tables with a mug of mead or ale and started to yawn as he continued.

"Oh yes, chief. So after I finished my soup I went outside and headed into the woods to talk with the gods. That's what I always do when my toe stings. So as I sat on the moist floor I waited for the gods to speak to me."

"And what did the gods say?" I encouraged him to get to the point.

Knut inhaled deeply. "Nothing."

Raising one brow I said: "Interesting."

But Knut was not done yet. "Aye, nothing. The gods are mad at us. When it comes to battle their blessings will not be upon us!" he raised his voice now and the people started to murmur incoherently. Knut turned to face the remaining people and continued. "We need to make a sacrifice in order to gain the gods favors back!"

"Yes, Knut is right!" "We need a sacrifice!" "Chief Grimborn, let's do it before the feast!" "The gods are mad at us! We will all die if we don't follow the gods orders!"

People were shouting at the same time, making it hard to hear everything that was said. I groaned, of course they would want a sacrifice and although I wasn't someone to count on the help of any supernatural power but rather on my own intellect and skills, I would do what is necessary to please my people and keep their spirits up.

"Silence!" Magnus yelled as I got up and extended my arms in order to get my people's attention.

"Very well then, your wish is granted." my voice echoed from the walls. "We shall sacrifice to Tyr and Odin in two days time and after that we shall feast in honor of our helpers of the isle of Solsteinn."

The crowd cheered and clashed their mugs together when the voice of a woman resounded through the hall. "Your sister should do it!"

"Yes, let her do it if she wants to belong to us!" came another shout.

I swallowed thickly and turned to study Lilly's face. Her eyes were wide and she let her gaze wander through the hall in confusion before her eyes finally met mine. "What does that mean brother?"

"They want you to perform the rite for the gods, that you would cut the throat of the animal to be sacrificed." Magnus answered before I could and Lilly shook her head in utter shock.

"What? But I..." she turned to me with a pleading look. "...I am not sure if I can do it Viggo...grandfather...he died like that..." her voice cracked and Magnus put one hand on her shoulder in a calming manner.

I nodded in understanding. No, she would not be ready to do it, not yet at least. "Don't worry, sis. I have another task in mind that you could fulfill. Leave the sacrifice to me."

She released a relieved sigh and I walked over to press a kiss onto the top of her head. "Now why don't you go and look for Hiccup? We are done here and I would like a moment to talk to Magnus in private."

"Okay." Lilly whispered and gave me a quick hug before she left the hall.

**Lilly's POV**

A cool breeze let me shiver as I stepped outside. I hadn't realized how hot it could get inside the great hall and now I wished I had brought the fur cloak Viggo gave to me, it was our mother's once as was the tunic and armor I was wearing now.

Staring down at my feet I released a shaky breath._ How am I ever supposed to fit in here? At least I am wearing these boots today, I don't want to imagine how mad that woman would have been if I didn't._ There were so many things I had to worry and think about here, I was not used to that. Not after all those years I spent in freedom on my island. But no, mourning those days won't do. I have to learn how to live among people, I am a Grimborn after all and it wouldn't be long till I would move to live on Berk and there I would have to adapt too. Letting my fingers run over the handle of my new sword I decided to go and look for Hiccup.

_"Lilly, how did it go?"_ I heard Shadow's voice in my head as I walked down the path leading to the port.

I turned my head and noticed her walking just a few steps behind me, Hope curled on her back. Apparently she had fallen asleep. _"Oh don't ask Shadow, it seems I still have to learn very much. Have you seen Hiccup?"_

_"Not yet, he and Toothless went on a flight with Stoick a while ago."_ Shadow answered and nudged my side with her head. _"And don't worry, I am sure you will learn everything in due time."_

I sighed and reached my hand out to scratch Shadow behind her ear causing her to purr in joy. _"I hope so."_

_"But of course you will and don't forget that wherever you go, Jali and I will always be with you."_ Shadow stepped in front of me and locked her big, round, blue eyes with mine. I felt my heart beat faster at the sincerity in her dragon eyes and leaned forward to hug Shadow's neck.

_"Thank you, Shadow. You were always like a mother to me...you and Jali are my best friends...I wouldn't know how to live on without you."_ I poured my heart out to Shadow, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

Shadow crooned and leaned into the hug. _"Don't worry my love, I will never leave you. So what do you say, shall we visit Jali?"_

I nodded into the crook of Shadow's neck and got up. Together we started to walk down the street when I noticed Eira crossing our way. I could tell that she must have been at our house from the direction she came from. She was probably looking for Viggo.  
_But wait, did she just shove something under her tunic?_ I frowned and quickened my pace a bit when Eira finally noticed me.

"Lilly!" she called out and her lips turned upwards into a broad grin. "Do you have a moment? I would like to talk to you."

She came to a halt in front of me and her eyes widened a bit when she noticed Shadow beside me. Out of reflex I let my fingers graze over the pommel of my new sword when she came closer. Somehow I wasn't sure how I should feel about her. And what did Magnus say? I shouldn't trust anyone too easily.

"Is that a Night Fury?" Eira breathed in awe and I couldn't hold back a smile.

"Yeah, that's Shadow. She's a friend." I said.

"Can I touch her?" Eira asked hesitantly and after sharing a quick glance with Shadow, I nodded.

Eira got down on one knee and reached her hand out to scratch Shadow under her chin causing her to give a content purr and her eyes to fall closed. "I have always dreamed about meeting such a dragon, I thought they were already extinct." Eira laughed and locked her eyes with mine. "Do you also ride her?"

"Yes, I do." I replied truthfully and let go of my sword, relaxing a bit.

"Would you show me how? I would love to know how it feels like to fly."

I knitted my brows in doubt. "I am not sure..."

"Oh come on, Lilly. Please? I am certain there are still places on this island you haven't seen yet." she got up and leaned in close to my ear. "Did you know that there even is a hot spring hidden at the foot of the mountain on the west side of the island?"

"You mean the water there is warm?" I asked, feeling excitement build up in my stomach. _Maybe I could actually swim there or at least try to..._

"Precisely." Eira smirked. "So, what do you say?"

I shared a meaningful glance with Shadow. _"What do you say Shadow? Should we trust her?"_

_"Hmm...I would say we should give her a chance. Your brother does trust her, right?"_ Shadow's voice resounded in my mind.

_"I think he does._"

Eira tilted her head a little and gave me a confused look. "So?" she asked impatiently.

I turned to face her again. "Alright, we will show you how to fly. Come."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. :) Any thoughts?
> 
> I hope Viggo's chief duties were not boring to read but I wanted to show what he has to do as a chief.
> 
> Do you think Lilly could perform a sacrifice at some point?
> 
> Why does Eira want to fly with her, is it really just curiosity?


	77. Chapter 76 - The Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the description an animal dying. If you don't feel comfortable reading such a thing, please skip over the sacrifice part. I know it seems brutal, but Vikings did do that and even worse.

**Lilly's POV**

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, turning to face Eira who was already seated behind me.

A smug grin formed on her lips. "I am a skilled horse rider, surely it can't be that different..."

_"Did she just compare me to a horse?"_ Shadow's voice growled inside my mind.

_"Sh, Shadow, I am sure she didn't mean.." _I started but Eira kept on talking, not noticing the conversation I held with Shadow.

"...and beside that, I fear nothing. So go on dragon!" she made a clicking noise with her tongue and nudged Shadow's sides with her legs to get her moving.

Shadow growled louder this time and narrowed her eyes to slits. _"Oh, it will be my pleasure..."_

_"Shadow..._" I warned, sensing what she planned to do, but the stubborn dragon ignored me as she spread her wings wide and pushed herself hard off the ground. Hope, who was standing beside us, warbled happily and took off as well.

Eira squealed due to the sudden impact and wrapped her arms so tightly around my waist that I actually feared it might leave bruises.

Up and up we soared, air rushing through our hair and a rush of fierce joy overcame me as we torpedoed into the sky. This was freedom, this was wonderful!

I leant forward and grasped the front the saddle tightly with both hands as Shadow brought us higher up into the clouds. Letting out a joyful shout I looked over my shoulder. "Isn't this amazing?!" 

Eira however didn't quite agree with me. Her face was priceless and I had to keep myself from bursting out laughing at her panicked expression. "Tell your dragon to slow down! Is she trying to kill us!?" I heard her screech over the whistling wind in my ears.

_"I fear nothing, huh?_" Shadow chuckled.

_"Shadow, slow down it's enough now!"_ I scolded, frightening Eira was not what I wanted.

_"Oh, not yet my love, still gotta show her I am not a horse." _Shadow turned her head and gave me a gummy smile.

I rolled my eyes and pointed down to a black dot below us. _"Hope can't keep up at that pace!"_

That finally convinced Shadow to listen, not quite in the way I had hoped though. She stopped flying upwards abruptly, causing Eira to bump her forehead against the back of my head and in the next second she was gathering speed in a steep dive - racing towards the black dot that was Hope. Eira let out another scream and I shouted at Shadow to stop, but she only laughed in her own dragon way. Eventually Shadow slowed down when we reached the little Night Fury, who crooned happily as she spotted us and rubbed her little snout against Shadow's.

Eira was gasping heavily behind me, her hands around my waist shaking and I suddenly felt guilty for Shadow's behavior. "Sorry for that, Eira. Usually Shadow doesn't start off that wild...but she got a bit moody, didn't she?" I directed my last words at Shadow who merely chuckled at that. _"I had to make my point, my love." _

"What for?" Eira asked, giving me a confused look. Her hair was tousled and she was still breathing heavily.

I simply shrugged. "You compared her to a horse."

"I compared...what? She understood that?" Eira's eyes grew wide and she shook her head in bewilderment.

_"Oh don't make me drop you.._." Shadow rolled her eyes, sounding annoyed.

_"Sh, Shadow!"_ I replied before I brought my attention back to Eira. "Of course she did, dragons are not that different from us and they can be very sensitive, especially a moody Night Fury...right Shadow?" I patted the top of her black head and she growled playfully.

"Well it seems I underestimated her." Eira admitted and loosened her grip around my waist a bit. "Can you tell her I apologize for it?"

I laughed. "You don't need me to do that, she understands every word you're saying. And Shadow says it's okay. Now let's find that hot spring you told me about."

Soon enough we arrived at the foot of the volcanic mountain on the west side of the island. Hopping off Shadow's back I inhaled deeply. The air was steamy around us and a salty taste clung to it. In the distance I heard the sound of waves breaking against the cliffs.

"Over there." Eira extended her arm in the direction of the hot spring and I followed her. Excitement bubbled in my stomach at the sight of the steaming water surface. Finally I could try and swim again without freaking out...hopefully. Hope jumped around the small lake already and playfully tapped her little claw in.

Forgetting everything else over the urge to throw myself into the water I quickly tossed my boots to the side and undid my belt, letting it and my sword drop to the ground with a low thud, when I noticed Eira hadn't moved an inch. "Are you not coming?" I asked with a frown. Something was different about Eira, her eyes seemed to wander nervously round the clearing and lingered a moment longer at a small hill next to the lake.

My words however shook her from whatever thoughts she just had. "What? No, I am not in the mood for swimming but please by all means, you have to try the water. It is wonderful." she insisted and pushed me slightly towards the shore.

"_Why did she want to come here if she now doesn't want to go swimming_?" Shadow interjected, her eyes narrowing a little.

_"I have no idea...maybe she just wanted to show me this_..." I replied and turned my head towards the water again. Oh it looked so welcoming, small waves splashed gently where Hope jumped around in the water and it was as if the water itself was calling me, inviting me to lose myself in its depths. I could not resist.

Letting myself drop to my knees I put my hand into the water, swirling it around a bit and relishing the warm feeling before I drew it back to remove my armor and tunic. My head was still stuck in the blue garment when I suddenly heard a twig snap in the distance.

Shadow growled lowly and I quickly slipped back into my tunic. Eira had disappeared from the place she stood just a few moments ago and I looked around frantically to find her. "Eira?!"

_"__She went up to that hill.._." Shadow gestured with her head into the direction Eira had disappeared.

I shook my head slightly. What was going on here?

Another twig snapped. Closer this time and I could make out the murmur of male voices coming from the forest. My heart started to hammer harder in my chest. Shadow growled again and came close to me in a defensive position. _"There is someone coming."_ her voice resounded in my head.

_"__My sword...I need it."_ I was about to run over and pick it up but Shadow stopped me.

_"_ _Not now, they are almost here."_

The voices came closer as well as the sound of footsteps...very loud and trampling footsteps. Suddenly one of the voices let out a roaring laughter...wait a second, I knew that sound...

Shadow was still standing ducked in front of me, her eyes thin slits and ears tightly pressed to her head when one moment later Stoick and Hiccup walked out of the forest, Toothless and Skullcrusher following close behind.

Instantly Shadows ears perked up again and she relaxed visibly. Hiccup and Stoick noticed us and stopped in their tracks. For a few seconds we just stared at each other dumbfounded.

"Lilly? What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked as he and his father made their way up to me.

I let out a deep and long breath, I didn't know I was holding and let my hand run through my hair. "Eira...she wanted to fly with Shadow...but wait, what are you doing here?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Dad and I made a trip round the island, it is huge actually. But didn't you say you came here with Eira? Where is she?"

"I have no idea..." I admitted, still utterly confused by her behavior.

"What do you mean, Lilly? Eira is right there." Stoick interrupted us and pointed to the black haired woman, strolling down the hill that led to one of the watchtowers.

Eira's eyes widened a bit when she noticed Stoick and Hiccup with their dragons but whatever emotion flickered in her eyes, it was gone in the next instant.

"What did you do up there?" I asked rather harshly, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

Eira mimicked my position and raised her eyebrows a bit. "I am here to help, Lilly. Your brother would let me have a look at the plan of his defenses and I wanted to come here to get a better picture of them. Am I not allowed to do that?"

Great, now I felt stupid. Biting my lower lip I muttered: "Of course you are...I didn't know."

"Ah, it's okay Lilly." Eira's features softened and she placed one hand on my shoulder. "I want us to get along well. So do you still want to go swimming?" her lips curled upwards in a friendly smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

I sighed. As much as I wanted to jump into the inviting waves before, it was completely gone now and so I just shook my head.

"Well then, let us fly back. Shall we?" Eira walked towards Shadow and grinned even wider before we hopped onto our dragons.

** Time skip to the day of the feast **

**3rd person POV**

A bone-chilling mist clung to every surface as Nanna stepped out of her hut on this early fall morning. Pressing her lips together to a thin line she grabbed one of her woven baskets and headed towards the forest. Today was the day of the feast and knowing her fellow townsfolk customs when it comes to drinking, Nanna assumed it would do no harm to collect more herbs for her special "after drinking potion". The elder woman chuckled to herself as she thought of all the occasions she had to provide that drink to some unteachable drunkard.

A sudden squawking sound split the air. Nanna froze in her steps and lifted her head. Only a few meters away, a black raven sat on a tree stump and eyed Nanna with obvious interest. Nanna clicked her tongue and lifted her hand in a shooing motion but the raven didn't move. "Shoo, go away you! I know very well who you are and what message you bring." she said and stepped closer to the black bird.

The raven tilted its head and croaked again. A shiver ran down Nanna's spine as the mist around her seemed to rise, leaping through the forest like cold, white waves. The empty basked dropped out of Nanna's hand as she reached for the little pouch hanging from her belt.

_Squawk._ The raven jumped backwards but stayed on the stump as Nanna closed the distance and with one swift motion emptied her rune stones onto the wooden surface. Inhaling sharply she stared down at the runes. Elhaz, the rune of life had landed upside down. Nanna clicked her tongue and picked the little rune stone up.

"Aye, I know what message you bring, _servant_." she said lowly, holding the rune stone up for the raven to see. "Death."

**Lilly's POV**

"My gift to the gods for the safety of my children." a browned-haired woman placed her golden pin into the basket I was holding.

"Thank you." I said, giving her a small smile.

Hiccup and I stood in front of the Great Hall, accepting the offerings the people wished to bring the gods. That was the task Viggo had given me, in this way I could still take part in bringing the sacrifice without being the one to do the killing stroke. Wrapping my fur cloak tighter around my body I chanced a glance to the side and saw Hiccup do the same. Luckily my brother had provided him with a cloak too, given that he or his parents didn't bring anything with them when we arrived on our island.

Another woman stepped forward and placed her offering into my basket. Again I thanked her with a gentle smile. There was still a long line of people waiting to do the same.

"Has Viggo got any news?" Hiccup asked in a hushed tone while he nodded his thanks to a tall man placing a silver dagger into his basket.

"No, unfortunately not. I'm worried, Hiccup. What if anything happened to her?" I whispered back. Martha was gone for two days now and no one seemed to have seen her anywhere or noticed her disappear at least. It was as if she just vanished into thin air.   
"He had Magnus and a few men search the whole island for her."

Hiccup's forehead wrinkled in thought. "You know, maybe she did run away. It's not that we know that much about her or her family."

"I know, but still it doesn't make sense to me." I said, shaking my head slightly. "I just have the feeling that there has to be more to it."

"Hey..." Hiccup placed his free hand on my shoulder. "If Martha is still on this island your brother will find her."

"You really think so?" 

"I am most certain, _my dear_." Hiccup placed his hand over his heart and mimicked my brother's voice. I couldn't help but laugh and nudged Hiccup's side with my elbow.

"Stop it, Hiccup." I giggled and brought my attention back to the waiting crowd. Hiccup was right though, my brother would find Martha eventually if she was still somewhere on the island. At least that was what I hoped.

After hours of standing in front of the Great Hall the last man finally placed his offering into my basket.

Hiccup stretched his back and sighed. "Finally! My toes feel like ice blocks. And what now?" he pointed down to the now full and heavy baskets.

"Now you bring the people's offerings to the sacred grove and hang them from it's boughs." came a voice from behind.

I spun around to see Viggo walking down the steps leading to our Great Hall. He looked pale and the circles beneath his eyes had darkened a bit. I knew that he must be utterly exhausted and his worries about Martha's whereabouts didn't help either, but Viggo, stubborn as ever, would never admit it. Eira was following close behind.

"Come, let me guide you there. And after you've completed you're task, you should get dressed for the feast." Viggo continued as he stopped in front of Hiccup and me. "Eira has offered to give you one of her dresses, Lilly." He smiled at Eira and she returned it.

"Thank you." I muttered, letting my gaze wander between my brother and her.

Eira gave a half-shrug. "You don't need to thank me, Lilly. It's the least I can do to show my good will." Taking a step closer to me, Eira continued. "I am so happy that we get along so well now. Let me hug you."

Before I could even form an answer I found Eira's arms wrapped tightly around me. For a second I just stood there flabbergasted, unable to move before I hesitantly hugged her back. It was true, Eira and I got closer within the last two days. She continued to give me sword-lessons while I took her for another ride on Shadow but still...I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was hiding something. I noticed how she would stare into the distance or around the town nervously whenever we paused our training. Just like she did at the hot spring. It was as if she was waiting for something, but what?

Lifting my gaze, I saw the happiness in my brother's eyes and decided to shove my suspicions aside. Eira had done nothing but tried to help me since her arrival and if Viggo trusted her, then I should do the same. And so I locked eyes with my brother and said: "I am very happy about that too, Eira."

She let go off me and Viggo hummed in approval, placing one hand on Eira's shoulder and the other on mine. "I have the feeling that this is going to be a memorable night." he said.   
"Now come, follow me."

With that he turned and headed towards the path in the forest that would lead us to the grove. Eira walked next to Viggo, while Hiccup and I followed close behind.

**Viggo's POV**

By nightfall the whole town was enlightened by lanterns and torches, the streets buzzing with excited chatter and music. A goats bleating could be heard in the distance. Yes, this would truly be a good night. Of course I would not leave my island without defenses, I still had Magnus and and a considerable number of my guards positioned in the watchtowers all around the island.

I inhaled the cold night air and hummed to myself as I waited for everyone in front of our house. Valka and Stoick were the first ones to appear, followed by Eira who was wearing a beautiful long sleeved red dress. I noticed that she had applied kohl around her eyes, accentuating their green color even more. She looked stunning.

"My eyes must deceive me." I uttered as she sauntered over to me with the hint of a smile playing around her lips.

"Weren't you the one who told me that eyes can be trusted?" she mocked, tilting her head up to look at me and although her voice was taunting, her eyes sparkled with honest affection.

"I did indeed." I said, raising one brow. "I'm surprised you still remember." Now my mocking was rewarded with a light punch of Eira's elbow in my side. I chuckled but tore my gaze away from Eira when the door opened again and Lilly stepped outside along with Hiccup.

The boy was dressed in one of my old, more festive tunics of a dark green color over his own pants and a brown leather belt around his waist. Like everyone else, he was not wearing his armor tonight. I could hardly suppress a chuckle at the sight of him. I used to wear this tunic when I was about the same age as Hiccup now, but it still seemed to be slightly too wide for him and somehow that thought filled me with satisfaction. Then my eyes fell on Lilly.

Her long hair was braided and fell over her left shoulder and I noticed that Eira must have assisted her to put kohl around her eyes as well as their blue color stood out even brighter. The olive green dress she wore flowed like silk around her body and although it was covered with the fur cloak Lilly had wrapped around her shoulders, I could tell that it fitted her perfectly.

This was not my little sister. This was a full grown woman.

Lilly interlaced her fingers with Hiccup's and gave me a little smile.

"So, seems we are all here. Shall we go, Viggo?" Stoick spoke up and it took me a while till I realized his words were addressed to me.

Eira punched me again and I gave myself a little shake to tear my gaze from Lilly. I cleared my throat. "Of course, let's go."

I took the lead of the procession leading into the forest to the grove. Torches were burning on each side of the path, lightening the way for the people. Horns were blown, drums were beaten and bells were chiming as all of the townsfolk gathered on the sacred clearing.

A cold breeze brushed through the leaves, causing the offerings to clash gently together. Grains, weapons and jewelry hung from the tree branches all around the grove and would be thrown into the sea at the end of the festivities as a sacrifice to Tyr.

In the middle of the clearing stood Nanna next to a large wooden table that served as altar, holding the holy instruments to perform the sacrifice. We shared a glance and I noticed the black ornaments Nanna had painted onto her face in preparation for the rite. I turned to Lilly and gestured her to stand in the front row of the forming circle with Hiccup and his parents. Then I slowly walked over to Nanna.

"Do you feel it, son?" I heard Stoick utter to Hiccup. "The gods are gathering. Tonight they will walk among us."

Lilly took in a long and shaky breath as her eyes fell on the two men that led a brown mare onto the clearing. The sacrifice.

The horse's mane was decorated with flowers and her whole body was painted with black charcoal runes. Inhaling deeply, I took my place next to Nanna who picked up the blessed knife that we only used to bring sacrifices with both hands, holding it up for me.

The mare was taken into the middle of the grove and I could see her nostrils flare wide in distress. I hated the thought of killing one of our horses, but since dragons were no longer an option, they were the most valuable animals we had. And offering a god like Odin or Tyr any less valuable sacrifice was not considerable. My people would never believe the gods blessings were upon us then.

Chancing one last glance at Lilly, I saw her eyes growing wide as she took in the whole procedure and she clutched Hiccup's hand tighter. He mumbled something into her ear, probably trying to calm her down. Eira, who stood next to her men, on the other hand seemed absolutely content with the whole situation.

A woman stepped forward and cleansed the mare's neck with a wet rug to prepare her for the deadly stroke. As soon as she was done, the music stopped and I turned to Nanna, taking the blade from her hands. _Let's just get it over with..._

Holding the blade flat on both of my hands, I raised my arms to speak the words of the rite. The whole clearing was quiet now and quivering with anticipation.

"Hail to the All-Father, the Lord of Lords, ruthless, fearless, mighty god. Weapons wise and wondrous Lord. Bestow your blessings upon us here tonight and may our prayers be pleasing to you. Hail Odin."

Lowering the blade I stepped forward to the mare and placed the palm of my left hand onto her neck. Nanna took her place on the other side of the horse.

"In the presence of the gods, Odin and Tyr. And in their honor, I offer this sacrifice." I spoke again. Then my blade sliced though the mare's neck, her blood gushing out and into the silver bowl Nanna was holding.

"Don't look away, Lilly. The gods will notice if you don't watch." I heard Stoick's voice and turned to look at my sister. Her face was pale and I noticed her lip trembling. She was probably thinking of Lord Hammond. A very sudden and intense urge to close her into my arms overcame me, but the rite was not done yet and so I had to stay were I was.

The horse sank to the ground and the crowd began to cheer and sing in utter excitement. I placed the bloody blade back onto the table and waited for Nanna to make the next move. Placing the silver bowl next to the knife, she picked up a multi-branched twig and dipped it into the blood. Then she brought it back up and splattered the blood across my face. That was it.

I gestured Lilly and Hiccup to come over and after one hesitating moment they did. Nanna dipped the twig into the blood again and before Lilly knew what was happening, her face got splattered with blood too. She gasped and staggered but I caught her before she could fall. "It's okay, little flower, it's okay. It has to be done." I whispered into her ear, pressing her trembling body close to mine as Hiccup received the same treatment.

"It's like their blood Viggo..." she whimpered on the verge of tears.

"I know, but it's over now. See? It's done, it's okay now." I tried to calm her down while I tapped Hiccup on his shoulder, gesturing him to come over. "Get Lilly back to the Great Hall, I will be there soon."

The boy nodded and took Lilly by her arm, leading her. We would all follow soon to enjoy the feast. The mare's meat would be prepared and cooked for the whole town to eat and there would be ale and mead for everyone.

Staring after my little sister, I startled when I felt Eira grab my arm. "That was truly an impressive speech." she purred close to my ear. I turned my head to look at her, she had her face sprinkled with blood already and I couldn't help but stare at her. Something about that made her even more attractive.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her closer. "I am glad you enjoyed it, my dear. Come, let us feast now and enjoy the night, shall we?"

Eira nodded and laughed playfully before we made our way back. Completely lost in thought, I failed to notice her glance to the horizon with a worried frown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to stop the chapter here as it already has so many words, but will continue shortly with the actual feast. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to add some real Viking elements to the story. And for everyone who wonders about Martha, she will appear in the next chapter too :)


	78. Chapter 77 - The Feast of Disaster

**Hiccup's POV**

Laid on the long wooden tables was an amount of food that on any other day would be expected to last several more. There were platters full of boiled and roasted vegetables, fresh baked bread, butter, cheeses, poultry, yak and soon the freshly slaughtered horsemeat as well as a variety of fish, sweet deserts and nuts. Vats of mead, ale and wine were prepared all along the hall and waited to be emptied by the celebrating Vikings.

Toothless had been a bit grumpy at first when he realized that he and the other dragons had to stay outside but Viggo had not forgotten to prepare a feast for them as well, very much to Toothless' liking. I chuckled quietly at the memory of him devouring a rather large amount of fish outside.

Cheering hunters filled the great hall, one after the other until everyone found their place at the tables.

I watched as Eira's men gathered at the table next to ours while Eira took her seat next to Viggo, my father was seated on his other side followed by my mother, Lilly and me.

Lilly had taken off her fur cloak and was now fumbling around with the straps on her dress.

"What's wrong?" I asked, bringing my head close to her ear.

Lilly huffed. "Something's got out of place, it itches."

"Sh. Stop fussing. Let me take care of it." I chuckled and pushed Lilly's hand out of the way to turn the twisted strap on her back into the right position again. "There, better?" I asked, letting my fingers glide over the back of her neck to her shoulder. Not willing to draw back right away, I dug my thumb into her tense shoulder to loosen the knots in it.

Lilly sighed and leaned into my touch. "Much better, thanks. I will never get used to these dresses..."

"Doesn't matter, I prefer you without them anyway." I whispered to her, feeling bold.

She snapped her head to face me and I chuckled at her flustered expression. That was until I felt someone's eyes on me. Lifting my gaze I saw Viggo staring at us, his jaw tightened and an unreadable expression on his face. Well, not something I wasn't used too...

Feeling defiant I held his gaze without removing my hand. I would not let him intimidate me anymore, Lilly was my fiancée now and if I wanted to touch her, he would just have to accept it. End of the story.

Viggo held my gaze a few seconds longer before he got up to raise his chalice for a toast. One member of the council pounded his staff onto the stone floor, demanding the people to be silent.

"We have all come here tonight in the honor of the gods and to show our gratitude to the people of the Isle of Solsteinn, who chose to help us despite all differences. But we must also not forget our valued allies of Berk. Without them, neither my sister nor I would be here tonight. So let's raise our cups and celebrate our alliances and drink to the downfall of our enemies."

A loud uproar of cheers and clinking of mugs echoed through the hall as every Viking raised their cups and drank. Viggo took a sip of his chalice as well and sat back down. Music started to play and everyone started to serve themselves with the delicious food. Lilly coughed violently beside me and I quickly clapped her back.

"Are you alright?" I asked, while I reached out to serve myself a portion of honey covered poultry.

"Yeah...but this is disgusting." Lilly wrinkled her nose and shoved her mug of ale aside.

My dad laughed loudly at that. "Aye, ale is not for everyone's taste my lass. Maybe you should try some fruit wine then."

Lilly nodded and smiled as she served my mother a portion of roasted vegetables. The feast went on like that, people were eating, cups constantly being refilled. I let my gaze wander through the hall, noticing Viggo talking intently with Eira who was laughing about something he just said. She picked up Viggo's chalice and shoved it into his hand while picking up her own to bring it to her mouth. He didn't seem to mind and drank along with her. Lilly was talking to my mom beside me, about their time they spent alone with dragons and I let my gaze wander further.

That was when I noticed a familiar looking woman among the servants in the hall. Unlike all other servants, she was wearing a hood while she carried a jug. She walked past our table to see if one of the cups needed to be refilled, Viggo's obviously was and the woman poured him more wine, before she walked away to the next table. I frowned, somehow I knew her...

I didn't have much time to think about it though as I heard the rumbling voice of my dad who put a hand on Viggo's shoulder. "And next spring Viggo, we will celebrate Hiccup's and Lilly's wedding at Berk. It is going to be wonderful, I am sure you will come to like Berk although the climate is a bit rougher than you are used to here."

"I am certain it will, Stoick." Viggo sounded unimpressed and took another sip of wine.

"And you two better hurry to make me a grandfather. I can't wait to hear the tapping of little feet again." Dad raised his cup towards us with a big smile on his lips. "Oh and make Viggo an uncle of course. Come on Viggo, let's drink to that."

Viggo almost choked on his drink, but my father didn't seem to care and simply clinked his large cup against Viggo's chalice.

"Oh gods dad!" I exclaimed and wished the earth would just open and swallow me whole.

Mom gave me a pitiful glance and placed her hand on my dad's. "Stoick such things can't be rushed." He just laughed again and downed his cup in one large gulp.

Lilly kept her eyes fixated on her brother and worried her lower lip, probably wondering about his reaction but whatever Viggo wanted to say was interrupted by Eira who looked rather annoyed that my father dragged Viggo's attention away from her. "Come Viggo, I would ask you to toast with my men. It is tradition among my tribe."

"Very well my dear, I do not intend to break with your tradition." Viggo replied as Eira grabbed his lower arm and more or less dragged him away from us.

I shook my head and decided to have another drink myself. Gesturing a servant to refill my cup, I took a sip of the warm, sweet honey mead and watched as Viggo toasted with the first of Eira's men. He put his hand on the man's shoulder and laughed at something Eira said. The sound of it was genuine, something that I couldn't say I heard often before. Well not that I could say that I have seen Viggo like this at all since I knew him, he seemed relaxed, his features softened and for once he seemed to be not monologuing or talking in riddles, but having an actual smalltalk. He seemed so completely..._normal_.

"Oh listen my heart, the dancing reels start." Dad exclaimed and extended his hand to my mother. "Would you grant your old husband this dance?"

Mother nodded and took my father's hand who's eyes seemed to sparkle whenever he looked at her. I chuckled as they walked by behind us but stopped instantly when my father put his hand on my shoulder and leaned in. "And you son take your future wife and join us."

"Uh...is this really necessary?" I asked but my father either didn't listen or didn't care. With a swift motion he grabbed both Lilly and me under our arms and practically lifted us out of our chairs as if we weighed nothing. Lilly yelped in surprise and I rolled my eyes at my dad's next words. "It is absolutely necessary, you can never start practicing too early."   
_Well obviously he didn't care... _

Dad slapped my back hard, knocking all air from my lungs, before he headed to the dance-floor with my mother. Lilly giggled a little as I gasped for air and stepped closer to me with her hands folded behind her back and biting her lower lip timidly. "Well maybe your dad is right, we do need to practice."

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, I know. So...uhm shall we?" I offered my arm to Lilly and she took it with a happy laughter. We, however, didn't make it very far...

"Lilly, Hiccup! Where are you heading my dears?" Two strong arms wrapped around us from behind and Viggo's face appeared between our heads. He let his gaze wander from me to Lilly and smiled broadly. Obviously he was done with his toasts.

"We were about to go dancing, brother." Lilly answered, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. Viggo seemed to be a bit tipsy and it surely was not surprising given the number of men he had to toast and drink with.

His eyes widened with excitement and Viggo squeezed our shoulders a little harder. "What a splendid idea!" he exclaimed, slurring a bit and let go of Lilly to put his other hand on my chest. "Shurely you don't mind leaving the first dance to a brother and his sister, my dear Hiccup?"

"I..." I began but Viggo didn't even bother to hear my answer.

"Thatsh a boy, I knew you would understand." he patted my cheek with a wide grin and in the next instant wrapped an arm around Lilly, dragging her to the dance-floor. She gave me an apologetic look over her shoulder and shrugged.

I ground my teeth together and growled under my breath. "Yeah, sure Viggo...I'll just stay here and stare at the wall..." Clenching my fists open and closed I let myself slump back into my chair. _He's just doing that to annoy me.._. I thought bitterly, jealousy gnawing at me, as I watched him swirl Lilly around who laughed brightly at that.

"You look like you could need another drink."

_Huh?_ I forced my gaze away from Viggo and Lilly to find Eira sitting down beside me, holding out a cup of wine for me. Well she was probably right. "Yeah, thank you." I said and took the cup from her, emptying half of it in one gulp.

Eira smirked and took a sip of her own cup while her eyes wandered to the dance-floor. "It must be hard to be only the number two." she mused and I shot her a glare.

"Excuse me? I am not number two, Lilly is my fiancée!" I retorted. _Really who does she think she is?_

Eira only hummed, her smirk growing wider. "Oh yeah? Then why is he dancing with her and not you?"

"Well couldn't I ask you the same? You and Viggo are a thing, are you not?" I snapped back and Eira's smirk faded away almost instantly. She took another sip of wine and I noticed with satisfaction how her features hardened. "So I thought." she gritted out, put her cup on the table rather harshly and with that got up to walk back to her men again. I inwardly sighed in relief. Something about that woman made me uncomfortable, very much like Viggo did.

Eventually the dance was over. People were laughing and clapping excitedly, waiting for the music to continue. Determined to claim the next dance for Lilly and myself, I got up and headed over to the dance-floor only to notice that Viggo and Lilly had stopped dancing anyway. Lilly was talking to Nanna a few steps away from me. I stepped closer to her when suddenly a large arm was wrapped around my shoulder once again. I didn't even have to look up to know who it was...

"Hiccup, my dear, did yer know that thereshword of a tournament?" Viggo slurred out in excitement.

I tried to shake his arm off, but it was no use and so I turned my head to face him. "What are you talking about, Viggo?" I grumbled, feeling annoyed.

Viggo chuckled and I couldn't help but notice how the pupils of his eyes seemed to be dilated. Wow he really seemed to have had enough drinks for tonight...

"Mashes and Dalons o'course..." he waved his hand in front of me, as if it was obvious. "...the winner getsh a life-shized game shet...made of sholid gold."

"Oh yeah? Well lucky him." I inwardly rolled my eyes, hoping Viggo would get my disinterest and just let me go to Lilly. Obviously he didn't...

"Letsh team up..." Viggo moved in front of me and put both his hands on my shoulders now, shaking me slightly with an excited sparkle in his eyes. "No one'sh gonna beat our bosh mindsh working together." He tapped one of his fingers against his temple to emphasize his statement.

"Yeah, you know what Viggo? No thanks, this is not really of interest for me." I huffed.

"But...the game shet..." Viggo insisted, looking really disappointed and upset that I didn't care about it.

"Why by Thor's hammer would I want a life-sized golden set of Maces and Talons?" I exclaimed in exasperation.

Viggo shook his head and laughed, tapping his index finger into my chest. "Oh poor Hiccup yer dunno what yer talking about...who wouldn't wanna have that gameshet..." Then he started to cough, holding harder onto my shoulders.

"Uh...are you okay?" I asked with a frown.

"O'course...jussshht got a dry moush..." he rasped out. "Come...have a drink wish me."

Before I could even form a word of protest, Viggo dragged me along with him to the closest table. I noticed how he squeezed his eyes together as we passed the hearth in the middle of the hall and he started to sway.

"Uhm, are you sure you should continue drinking? You seem a bit...you know..._tipsy_." I tried to convince Viggo as he let go off my arm and reached out to pour us two cups of mead. Viggo only started laughing and shoved one cup into my hand, dragging me down to sit beside him on the long wooden bench.

"Nonshensh Hiccup! The lightsh jusht too bright inhere." he exclaimed and lifted his cup towards the hearth, blinking several times.

_"Okay_...whatever you say Viggo..." I replied, not convinced at all but who am I to argue with him in this state?

Viggo leaned over to talk in my ear, but didn't bother to lower his voice much. I could smell the wine on his breath and tried to inch away a bit. He was way too close for comfort. His next words however left me frozen in my place. "Now tell me Hiccup...my sishter wash yer first one?"

_Oh Thor, end me now!_

"Uh...yes?" I muttered and quickly took a sip of my cup. Now this was getting awkward.

Viggo hummed in what must have been approval and squeezed my shoulder. "Thatsh good...but alsho not good..." he wrinkled his forehead, thinking hard and eyed me up and down. "You don't lasht long, do ya?"

I almost spit out my drink while trying to gulp down at the same time and ended up nearly choking while mead trickled out of my nose. I coughed violently and it took me several minutes till I could speak again. "Ex-excuse me?"

Viggo just waved me off. "Not to worry my dear, I can tell ya..." he leaned in closely again. "...from one man to another...there are a lot of waysh to pleashe a woman..."

"Oh by the love of Thor, please don't!" I cried out. Getting details about Viggo's love life was the last thing on this earth I wanted to know. "I thought you wanted to kill me because of what happened between Lilly and me." I quickly tried to change the topic.

Viggo burst out laughing, so hard that I could see tears forming in the corner of his eyes and just something about that felt so terribly wrong. I've never seen Viggo like that before, he didn't seem like the man who would lose all control over himself when drinking. But then again, maybe today was an exception. He did drink a lot I guess.

"Oh Hiccup..." Viggo clapped my back and continued laughing. "...I...I did want to do that..."

"Well that's encouraging as ever Viggo..." I grumbled while Viggo's laughter ebbed down to a giggling sound. I watched him wipe a tear out of his eye.

"Nah don't worry boy...I wouldn't break that what my sishter lovesh..." he shook his head, laughed one last time before his gaze fell onto my prosthetic. "Itsh my fault anyway...should've taken that peg leg of you...no walking around wishout that...no shneaking round my sishter..."

He leaned forward as if to grab my leg but toppled over and fell off the bench, his cup landed on the stone floor with a loud clank.

"Viggo! Are you alright?" I quickly bent down to help him up and within an instant Lilly and Nanna were by our side.

Lilly fell to her knees beside her brother. "Oh my gods, Viggo, what's wrong?"

**Martha's POV**

I was sitting on the floor of Eira's cabin, my hands bound to a post and silently watched the guard who was left behind to keep an eye on me tap his fingers on the table. It was obvious that he was both annoyed for being left behind as well as bored as Hel while all his fellows were having fun at the feast. Eira has made it quite clear, that she did not wish the man to touch or harm me in any way and as much as I was surprised by that, it surprised me even more how much this guard seemed to respect and fear his captain although she was a woman.

Since the first time she interrogated me about the defenses of the island, Eira had not laid another hand on me. All she did was taking care of my bruised neck and make sure I didn't escape. It didn't make sense to me. But tonight was different, tonight I knew something was gonna happen, it's what Eira had talked about with that Krogan guy. So whatever she had in store, I needed to escape and warn chief Grimborn and Lilly.

The guard yawned and poured himself a cup of ale which he drank slowly with a bored expression on his face. Maybe this could be something I could work with...

"Sounds like they're having fun over there." I stated as the sound of music and cheering villager's drew over to the port.

The guard grunted and took another gulp of ale.

"And all the delicious meals they are probably eating, while you have to sit here and guard a weak little girl like me...sounds hardly fair to me." I continued, trying to get into the guard's head.

"Shut up!" he growled and glared at me. "That's none of your business! I have my orders."

I shrugged. "Just saying. It's not that I can get anywhere, being tied to a pole and all..."

That made the guard look up, a sinister grin forming on his lips. I shuddered as he got up and stepped closer to me at a threateningly slow pace. Soon he was looming over me, took a final sip of his mug before he smashed it to the side. My heart dropped as he crouched down in front of me. "Yeah, you won't go anywhere...so tell me why shouldn't I have a little fun with you? Since you seem to be so concerned about me." He placed one big hand on my thigh, squeezing it and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. This can't be happening to me again...

"Eira told you not to touch me..." I croaked out, feeling like I would faint.

The guard chuckled darkly. "But she's not here, now is she?"

"I will tell her!" I tried to argue, growing more desperate by the second. The man only laughed again and leaned in close to my face, so close that his foul breath filled my nose. "You really think she would care as much?"

"No...please don't." I whimpered as the guard let his hand travel down my dress. I just wanted to die, better being dead than a victim once again. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, praying to all the gods to let me just drop down dead or at least let him get over with it quickly.

But something entirely different happened. Tapping footsteps came closer, then there was a screeching sound and a burst of purple light. The guard groaned in pain and dropped to his side unconscious.

My eyes snapped back open and I heaved in heavy breaths. What the Hel? Then I saw her and tears of relief sprang free, I couldn't believe it.

"Hope!" I cried out, shaking my head. "But how?"

The little night fury warbled and came closer, sniffing me up and down curiously. She smelt heavily of fish and I noticed the white dust of flour still clinging to her scales.   
I started laughing, out of all people on this island, it was little Hope who found me. "You've been sneaking around in their galley, weren't you? Oh you little, cheeky, clever dragon."

Hope crooned and gave me a toothless gummy smile, seemingly very proud of herself. "Could you help me one more time, little one? Could you bite through the ropes for me?" I asked and wiggled my restrained hands a little.

Hope tilted her head as if processing what I just said, warbled again and then luckily crawled behind the pole and started to bite through the ropes. I let out the biggest sigh in my life as soon as I had my hands free. "Thank you for saving me Hope." I said and reached out to crawl Hope behind her little ear. She gave a content purr and closed her eyes. "Now let's go and warn chief Grimborn and the others."

Chancing a last glance at the unconscious guard, Hope and I made our way up onto deck and back to the village. I haven't reached the end of the main gangplank yet, when Hope suddenly stopped in her tracks and lifted her gaze to the night sky. She growled lowly and I followed her gaze. At first I didn't notice anything uncommon but then I heard it. The sound of flapping wings. Not one, not two but a whole armada of it given the noise they made. _Oh by Odin's beard, I need to hurry. _

Falling into a quick sprint I headed for the Great Hall.

**Lilly's POV**

Viggo groaned as he lay on the floor and Hiccup and I quickly grabbed him by his arms, dragging him back up to sit on the bench. His face seemed flushed and he was breathing heavily, almost gasping for air.

"He's had a little too much to drink..." Hiccup tried to explain and scratched the back of his head.

I shook my head and placed my hand on Viggo's right shoulder. "Viggo, look at me, are you okay?"

Viggo's pupils were dilated as he looked at me and he blinked several times as if he had difficulties to focus. Then he spoke up and I cringed at how slurred his voice sounded. "I didnot drink tomush, I'm ash shober ash shober can be...now can you pleashe dim down the light, I cannot shee anyshing here..."

"Viggo, the light in here is just fine..." I was growing more worried by the minute now. Then Viggo snapped his head to the people on the dance-floor and yelled: "What did I tell ya Ryker...no dragonsh inmyhall!" He got up, but staggered almost immediately, he flailed his arms for a few seconds before he fell down onto his knees.

Everyone in the hall fell silent and stared in shock at their chief. "Viggo!" I cried out and dropped down beside him. "What's wrong? Please tell me!" I felt tears well up in my eyes. Something was horribly wrong here.

Viggo's chest started heaving and he let out a strangled groan as he dropped to his side, clutching his stomach in pain. I let out a panicked shriek and in the next instant, Nanna was by his side, cupping Viggo's face in her hands and examining his eyes. "He's not drunk..." she said lowly and locked her eyes with mine. I felt like my heart stopped its beating at her next words. "...he's been poisoned."

Murmurs of shock went through the crowd, I could hardly breathe. This must be a nightmare, this can't be true.

"Oh gods, Viggo!" Eira exclaimed and knelt down beside me, her face as shocked as mine. "Nanna, do something! Help him!" her voice was barely more than a shriek.

Nanna was about to say something when the door burst open and no one else but Martha stumbled in, followed by little Hope, Shadow and Toothless. The crowd gasped and murmured even louder and I saw Ida running up to her daughter, but Martha shoved her out of the way. I felt Eira stiffen beside me as Martha, looking as shocked as everyone else, ran up to us.

"Lilly! Chief Grimborn!" she cried out when her eyes fell on us but her face paled almost instantly when she noticed Viggo laying on the ground, struggling to breathe.

"Martha, what is it? What happened?" I practically shouted at her.

She didn't need to say anything. A noise, as loud as thunder resounded through the town and the earth below us started to quiver violently from the impact of whatever just hit our island. People started to run around and scream and my heart pounded so rapidly I feared it might burst.

"We're under attack! And it's her doing!" Martha found her voice again and pointed at Eira.

Eira? Of course, who else would have access to poison that easily? It was all a trap and we fell for it. She betrayed us, she betrayed Viggo though she said she loved him!

"You!" I gritted out, blind rage rushing through my veins.

"It's not what you are thinking!" Eira raised her hands in self-defense but why would I listen to this lying little snake? With a cry of savage rage I lunged forward and punched Eira hard in the face.

The earth shook again from another impact and suddenly a rush of different voices filled my mind.

_They were here... they were here to burn us all down..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peace is over. The island under attack.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> Any thoughts?  
Did Eira poison Viggo?  
Or someone else?


	79. Chapter 78 - This is just the beginning

**3rd Person POV**

Magnus stood at the edge of the cliff on the west shore and lowered his spyglass with a low growl. A force of about twenty dragons were circling round the hunter town, bombarding the buildings with balls of fire. Magnus didn't have to look twice to know which kind of dragons these were. Singetails. What was more surprising to him was that these Singetails had riders.

"Oh mighty Thor, what is going on over there?" a shocked looking guard uttered from behind.

"They are carrying out an air raid!" Magnus growled, rage darkening his features.

This was not something he or even the chief had expected. This was something they were not prepared for.

"Did chief Grimborn know this?"

"What shall we do now?"

The voices of worried Vikings echoed over the cliffs and Magnus turned to the men, grim determination written upon his face. "We do what our duty demands us to do, we defend our island! We've fought against dragons before, we will also fight these ones and their riders!"

All men stared at him, waiting for further instructions. Magnus drew his sword and extended his arm. "Archers, come with me. The rest of you, to the catapults and ballistas. If one of those dragons comes close, take it down at all costs. And whatever happens, hold your ground. Whether we live or die is in the hands of the gods. They already know if we will feast with them in Valhalla tonight, so fear not!"

"Valhalla!" the men cried out in unison, clapping their swords and axes against their shields before returning to their position while Magnus led a group of about twenty archers back down to the town. Singetails or not, he would leave nothing undone to take these dragons down.   
  


Inside the Great Hall Eira got to her feet with an angry growl, wiping blood from her nose as she glared at Lilly who was still panting heavily in shock and outrage.

"That was not my doing!" she snapped but Lilly only huffed. Like she would even consider believing Eira. Viggo got poisoned and the island attacked exactly on the day of the feast that Eira had demanded to have.

"It is! Lilly, I saw her talking to a stranger two days ago, I tried to run off and warn you and the chief but she kept me captured!" Martha cried out, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You little snake!" Lilly yelled as blind rage rushed through her body once more. "And now you dare to poison my brother, the man you said you loved?!"

"I admit, I have talked to Krogan, but it was not my intention. He caught me off guard when I left your house, he...I just had no choice but to tell him something...but it is not what you think, I have a plan and by all the gods I do love Viggo! I did not poison him! Will you just let me explain?!" Eira raised her voice, fists clenched hard as the undeniable urge to punch that little servant girl in the face overcame her. Krogan was right, they should've just thrown her into the sea in the first place, now she ruined everything.

"Why would I even care to listen!?" Lilly shouted back when Hiccup stepped between the two enraged women with his arms raised.

Screaming and yelling could be heard throughout the town and echoed into the Great Hall. It was followed by crashes and what may have been explosions rocking the walls and causing dust and debris to rain upon the people inside. For a moment everyone stared to the large doors in shock and worry till Hiccup finally found his voice again.

"Whoa, okay let's all just calm down for a second. Eira what is going on out there and who is this strange Krogan guy?" he tried to wrap his mind about everything that was going on.

"Krogan is one of Drago's men, he's attacking with a dragon force..." Eira began but was interrupted by Lilly again.

"You planned this whole thing out!" Lilly growled and Hiccup had to hold her back from lunging at Eira once more.

"Yes, because I had to!" Eira snapped back. "As I said, he attacks with a special dragon force, but he doesn't know about a special threat that waits for him and his dragons, I hope it will hit him unexpected. When we flew up to the hill on the west side of the island, I checked the tunnel Viggo meant for the woman, children and elders to escape. You can reach it through a door at the back of this hall. I suggest they hide inside till the attack is over. I made sure Krogan does not know about this."

"And you think we would believe you?" Lilly shook her head violently. "For all I know you could just send us into a trap! Just spill it Eira, whose side are you on?!"

Eira narrowed her eyes and chuckled lowly as she circled round Hiccup at a threateningly slow pace. "Side? I am on no one's side. If it was for me, Drago could just take you with him, chain you up, beat you, make you his slave for all I care."

Lilly froze at her venomous words, her heart beating fast in dread and concern at the mention of the mad warlord. Hiccup shoved himself in front of her in a defensive position. "I won't allow you to talk to her like that!" he snapped but Eira only huffed and continued unimpressed.

"The only thing I do care about is him." she pointed to Viggo who laid on his back next to the hearth, Nanna talking incoherently to him as she tried to bring him back into a sitting position but it was no use. He seemed to be far away by now and unable to move.

"He's drifting away..." Nanna muttered and Lilly's heart almost stopped at her next words. "I know which poison was used on him and I fear I have no antidote...all we can do is try to get him to vomit it all out...but if it's already in his blood circulation then I..."

"No!" Lilly cried out, shoving both Hiccup and Eira out of the way as she rushed back to Viggo's side. "Viggo?" she whimpered.

He was staring up at the ceiling with glazed eyes and sucked in shallow breaths. Every now and then his face would contort in pain and he let out a strangled groan. His fingers twitched as if he tried to regain control over his body, fighting a battle that he was doomed to lose as the poison rushed through his veins.

"Viggo look at me..." Lilly sniffed as she leaned over his face, a single tear dripping down onto his cheeks, but Viggo's eyes kept staring at the ceiling, seeing something far away that nobody else could. "Brother please...please...don't do this to me...don't do this to me...Nanna do something, help him!" she practically shrieked.

"I try Lilly, I try. We need to get him up and then make him throw up." Nanna's voice shook with anxiety causing Lilly to sob even more. What were they supposed to do now if even their healer didn't know a solution?

"There's another way." Eira interjected and rushed over to the nearest brazier. "I've only read of it before, but it could work if we act at once. I need water, quickly!"

Lilly frowned as she watched Eira take a jug of water from a hurrying servant and dumped it over the brazier, extinguishing the flames. Then she grabbed an empty bowl from the nearest table and stuffed it full with charcoal and added water. Drawing her dagger from her boot, she rushed over to Viggo and started to crush the charcoal until it became a thick mash.

"Charcoal?" Nanna asked with wide eyes, this was something she had never heard of before.

"Yes." Eira replied hastily. "I've read how it has the ability to absorb toxins and will hopefully help us to get the poison out of his body."

Nanna made an approving sound and eyed the young black haired woman intently. "You really didn't poison him, did you?"

Eira snorted and her eyes met Lilly's, who still clung to her brother and trembled uncontrollably. "No, of course I didn't." She set the bowl beside her and reached out to touch Viggo's shoulder. His face looked flushed and was covered in sweat. Time was of the essence now.

"Lilly, find something that we can use as tube and then force the charcoal in until he can bear no more. If he vomits, let him and then force more. You understand me?" her stern voice shook Lilly from her despairing thoughts and although she still did not trust Eira in the least, she nodded.

Another explosion let the floor beneath them vibrate and Valka grabbed Stoick's arm in a tight grip. Her face was torn in both fear and anger. "I can't stand this anymore, Stoick. If this man is attacking with Drago's dragons then I can imagine what treatment they receive. We need to do something."

"It's alright Val, calm down. We work together now remember? So what do you suggest?" Stoick tried to reassure his wife.

"We need to save these dragons, make sure they are not killed." she said and instantly headed to the door, Stoick following on her feet. "Of course my heart. Hiccup, get Toothless! We could need support out there."

Toothless gave an approving growl and pushed Hiccup forward. "Alright bud, I'm coming." he said and jumped onto the black dragon's back before turning to look at Lilly who had managed to get a tube from one of the servants. "Lilly..." he stopped as he stared into her face. Her hair had come undone and dark lines of kohl were smeared across her face due to the tears. Hiccup swallowed thickly. "Are you coming? There are dragons out there...we could need you."

Shadow purred and walked over to Lilly, nudging her side before they shared a long gaze. Lilly shook her head and lifted her eyes to meet Hiccup's again. "I can't...not now, not if Viggo...I just can't leave him..."

Hiccup nodded in understanding and turned to chance a glance at Viggo. As much as he hated the older man mocking and challenging him, he did not want him to die. He shook his head slightly thinking back how much their relationship had changed during the last few months and through how much they'd been together. They started out as enemies and turned to be...yeah what were they? Hiccup couldn't bring himself to call Viggo a friend but he wasn't an enemy either...he was an ally and well he would be his brother in law at some point...a fact that Hiccup liked to ignore most of the time but he could live with that, it's not like they would see each other that often when he and Lilly moved back to Berk, right? That is if they all survived this night. No, such thoughts won't help anyone. Inhaling deeply he brought his gaze back to Lilly.

"He won't die Lilly, I am sure of that." he said, trying to convince both Lilly and himself and quickly bent down to kiss Lilly as Toothless stopped beside her. He could taste her tears against his lips and reached out to wipe them away with his thumb. "Take care, I will see you later."

"You take care." she whispered back before Toothless rushed out of the hall, Shadow following close behind to fight off the intruders.

Viggo couldn't move and his world was a blur. All around him were different voices, crying out and shouting but it made no sense. His head was spinning and his mouth felt dry, so unbearably dry. He was thirsty, really thirsty, he needed to drink. Water...anything to make this feeling go away. Viggo tried to open his mouth, to speak but he couldn't, his tongue felt as if it was made of stone. He groaned in pain and frustration. There were people around him, why didn't they notice he needed to drink...why didn't they care?

Viggo's head fell to the side as he struggled to bring his body to move but it was as if his limbs weren't following his minds orders anymore. Second by agonizing second his chest grew heavier and heavier, making it hard to breathe. Viggo struggled, tried to suck in more air but his lungs refused. A prickling feeling started at the back of his neck as slowly but steadily panic started to rise in his guts. He was trapped. Trapped in his own body and not able to escape. He wanted to move so badly, to talk, to breathe, to cry for the gods sake but even that ability was stolen from him.

Viggo had his eyes open, staring transfixed at the fire burning in the hearth. It was way too bright, almost blinding but he couldn't draw his eyes away. The flames looked like people, dancing...no not dancing but fighting in a wild battle. Every once in a while a he'd spot a familiar looking figure amongst the soldiers. He tried to follow it, but it would disappear before he could truly make it out. He felt like he was swaying, like he was on a boat, the ground rolling beneath him like gentle waves. The entire world moved around him, twisting and turning and undulating as breathing got more difficult, making him feel lightheaded.

An old man wrapped into a long black cape and wearing a matching black hat crouched down on the other side of the hearth. He supported himself on his staff and reached into a small pouch hanging from his belt. He drew out a tiny amount of white powder and opened the palm of his hand while he kept his single eye fixated on Viggo. A raven squawked in the distance and the old man blew the powder into the flames, causing them to stir and crackle. Viggo was completely enraptured by it.

The familiar figure formed in the fire once more, bigger than before and it began to fight with a similar big figure. They were moving fast, dancing in the flames till the familiar one fell as the enemies' weapon pierced through its chest. Viggo's throat burned as he screamed, but not a single sound left his mouth. Both figures vanished into the flames but only for a short while. The fire cracked and the familiar looking figure appeared once again. It was kneeling in the flames and stared at something in the distance. Viggo recognized the figure now...he tried to reach his hand out, make himself known somehow, but it was no use. The man in the flames would not move nor look at him, just stare at something far away. Then all of a sudden, the man shot his face towards Viggo and spread his arms wide. The man was screaming as even brighter flames consumed him and changed his appearance once again. Viggo felt an uncontrollable shiver run down his spine as a large dragon formed in the flames, staring straight at him before it suddenly lunged forward, ready to engulf him with one loud roar.

Just then Viggo's head was yanked to the side and he tried to struggle as a tube was shoved into his mouth and going deeper, scraping the sensitive insides of his throat and instinctively causing Viggo's gag reflex to take hold. He tried to fight the intrusion, whimpered even but whoever did this to him shoved it further down without mercy. It seemed to go on forever until it finally stopped and something warm and thick dripped down his throat. Viggo attempted to shake his head free but someone held the tube tightly in place so he had no choice but swallow or drown in the liquid and so he swallowed as his body instincts for self preservation took over. It felt like it went on forever and he felt so full, so stuffed full that he couldn't bear it any longer. He stomach twisted and he started to sweat as his body fought to get rid of whatever he was force fed right now. Black dots danced before his eyes and suddenly he found himself being yanked up and spilling the insides of his stomach into a large bowl.

There were voices all around him, they seemed so familiar yet so far away and just for a short moment he thought he saw a flush of red before he slacked back down and his world became black.


	80. Chapter 79 - Under Attack part 1

The moment Hiccup and Toothless shot out of the Great Hall they were met by a blasting inferno. The entire town burned in a sea of red, yellow and orange and the cries of the people echoed into the night. Above them an armada of huge four-winged dragons circled, firing down at buildings and people alike without mercy.

"Whoa what the hel? I think I know these guys from somewhere..." Hiccup uttered more to himself than to anyone else and Toothless answered with a low growl. He and Shadow shared a look when suddenly little Hope appeared out of the Great Hall with a questioning purr. Shadow turned and gently pushed the little dragon back into the hall, but Hope refused. She tried to move forward again, purring louder and more determined now but this time it was Toothless who let out a threatening growl and grabbed Hope by the back of her neck, carrying her back to the door of the hall.

"Toothless is right, little one. You stay here." Hiccup interjected, gesturing towards the door and eventually Hope trotted back into the hall but not without shooting a tiny plasma blast against the wooden doorframe with an outraged growl.

"I guess it's hard to be a father sometimes, isn't it bud?" Hiccup chuckled despite their situation and scratched Toothless behind his ear. The black dragon rolled his eyes and warbled in approval before turning his attention back to the battle going on all around them.

Hunter warriors ran around in anguish as they were hit by a large fire ball, screaming as their clothes caught fire, turning them into living torches. They screamed until they couldn't anymore, until they rested into nothingness. The battle continued. More guards and soldiers rushed into the town from all sides, shoving their ballistas and catapults with them, trying to hit one of the large dragons.

"Come on bud, let's help them!" Hiccup exclaimed with determination in his voice and Toothless growled lowly, spreading his wings wide while at the same time Hiccup adjusted his prosthetic in the stirrup and held onto the saddle.

Toothless and Shadow took off and melted into the dark night sky. Toothless drifted to the right while Shadow flew off to the left to attack a yellow four-winged dragon. Hiccup looked around frantically to make out the intruder's leader...this Krogan guy as Eira had called him. He must be recognizable somehow. And if he found him, he would try and bring an end to this madness, talk some sense in the guy. Hiccup reached down to his hip only to realize he hadn't brought Inferno with him. The sword was still lying on the bedside table in his room, he left it behind when everyone headed to the feast and he was not the only one. Almost every man of the hunter tribe came unarmed to join the festivities in honor of the peace with Solsteinn. What a terrible mistake it seemed to be now. _Eira must have known that..._ Hiccup thought with a frown, not sure at all on whose side this black haired woman was on.

He had no time to think any further as suddenly a green dragon appeared right in front of him and Toothless, ready to shoot its fireballs down on the next building. Hiccup patted Toothless' neck and he gave an understanding growl as he shot towards the dragon and its rider.

"Now!" Hiccup cried out when Toothless got close enough but before the plasma blast could hit its target, the dragon's eyes turned to the back of its head and it dodged Toothless' shot before firing a flaming ball out of its tail which missed the black dragon just by an inch.

"Whoa, Singetails!" Hiccup cried out, suddenly remembering the name of the foreign dragons that he had discovered through the dragon eye. "That was close bud, we need another tactic!"

Toothless torpedoed higher into the dark clouds, the flyer spurring his dragon to chase them until they were too high in the sky and the Singetail stopped, refusing to fly any higher.

"Phew that was close bud." Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. In the distance he spotted a blue light popping up in the darkness followed by an enraged roar. That must be Shadow. Toothless circled the town high above, giving Hiccup an overview over the whole situation. His heart sank into his lap as realization hit him. There were at least twenty Singetails attacking the island with their riders who seemed to be very skilled fighters too. Hiccup watched in horror as one flyer maneuvered his dragon close to the ground while he got up and knocked down two of Viggo's men with his sword.

Hiccup let out an enraged cry, thumping his fist into the air. "Oh I just wish the gang was here..." The whole argument he had with them seemed so stupid and small right now...where did they go anyway?

"Pull!"

A sudden cry shook him from his thoughts and Hiccup glimpsed a group of archers standing a few yards away from the Great Hall. The men raised their bows, all in time with each other, with exquisite precision. Their leader, whom Hiccup recognized as Magnus, stood before them with one arm raised and waited for the right moment to give his command.

"Loose!"

A hissing sound tore through the air and one arrow hit the same green Singetail that chased Toothless just a few moments ago. The dragon roared loudly as the arrowhead impaled itself into the side of its neck. Within an instant the Singetail started to sway as the effect of the dragon root took hold. The rider tried frantically to keep his dragon up, but it was no use. In no time at all the dragon crashed down on the streets, yanking its rider out of the saddle. Before the man could even get up, he was circled by a group of hunters who showed the man no mercy. Then they turned to the unconscious Singetail.

"No! Stop! Don't hurt the dragons!" a desperate cry split through the air.

Within an instant Valka let Cloudjumper land beside the fallen dragon, jumped from his back and in front of the fallen Singetail with her arms raised to keep the hunters from killing the creature.

"Get out of the way, crazy woman!" a grim looking hunter shouted. "This dragon is an enemy and has to be dealt with!"

"Crazy woman? Did you just call _my_ wife a CRAZY WOMAN?!" Stoick's voice boomed across the whole town. Outraged he jumped off of Skullcrusher and clapped his fist into the palm of his hand, ready to punch every man into the ground who dared to insult his wife.

"Oh by Thor what are they doing!?" Hiccup exclaimed and Toothless growled in response. The whole town was on the brink of being burnt to the ground and now they started an argument. "Let's better get down bud before this whole situation gets out of hand."

Meanwhile Magnus stepped in between Stoick and the hunter, his hands raised in a pacifying manner. But before he could speak up, Toothless landed beside them and Hiccup called out to his parents.

"Dad! Mom! Let's get back up in the air, we need to try and stop the flyers."

"I will not allow these dragons to be killed, Hiccup!" Valka exclaimed, putting the palm of her hand protectively against the Singetail's neck. "It's not their fault!"

Magnus lowered his hands and stepped closer to Valka, his eyes boring into hers. To everyone's surprise he reached out to pat the Singetail's neck as well.

"You are right, it's not their fault. But there comes a time when you have to put your people's safety above your love of dragons. If only my former king would have cared to listen to my advice, he and my people might very well still be alive." he spoke in a calm voice that stood in contrast to the ongoing yelling and screaming of battle.

Stoick let out a big sigh, dropping his hands to his side.

"I know you don't want to hear it Val, but he has a point." he admitted, earning a glare from his wife.

"Whoa let's just wait a moment! There's no need to kill these dragon, Viggo wouldn't approve this...not anymore. They are forced to follow the flyer's orders, we need to free them." Hiccup tried to convince Magnus.

The elder man thought for a moment. "Very well then. But you will not stop us from tranquillizing these dragons, for safety's sake." he spoke firmly and kept his eyes locked with Valka's who gave a short nod.

"Now you tell me..." Magnus continued, turning to Hiccup "...where is my chief?"

\----------------

Krogan watched the ongoing destruction with a satisfied smirk. This Eira woman had proved to be useful after all. Their attack had caught the hunter tribe completely unprepared. Still Eira was not the person he was looking for as his dark eyes scanned the town. Somewhere down there was his informant, the one person who helped him get into the town unknown, the one person that promised him Grimborn would not be a problem anymore very soon. The tribe would fall into chaos without their chief leading them and make it all the easier to subdue them. Keep them hostage till Drago came to wipe them all out and take their dragons. For Krogan there was no doubt that his master would manage to gain control over the second Bewilderbeast as well and when he finally managed to claim the dragon whisperer back, he truly would be invincible.

A bolt of blue light missed his large red Singetail by an inch and Krogan spun around in outrage. "Night Fury." he growled.

"You! Are you Krogan?" a scrawny looking auburn haired boy riding on said Night Fury called out to him, his green eyes sparkling with fury.

Krogan merely chuckled at the sight of him. He tugged on the chains controlling his dragon and glided round the boy on his Night Fury, looking him over with a patronizing smirk. "And who are you? The force Grimborn sent to fight us off?" he chuckled darkly. "Can he only deliver runts then? Pathetic."

Hiccup's jaw tightened at the insult but he tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke up. "Look you don't have to do this..." he began but Krogan's throaty laugh interrupted him.

"Oh don't I? Let me tell you something, boy. Your chief has stolen what is rightfully my master's and now he's going to pay for it."

Hiccup shook his head in disgust. "I know who you are referring to and you know what, Lilly is a free person, no one can steal or own her!"

"Is that so?" Krogan scoffed. "My master paid a considerable sum for the dragon whisperer to trader Johann. He promised my master this girl for months and now I am here to take back his property."

Hiccup's cheeks turned red with anger and he clutched his hands tightly on the saddle, feeling the undeniable urge to let Toothless blast this arrogant man to pieces. The way Krogan talked about Lilly made him feel sick. "Property? She's a human for Thor's sake! You cannot own her!"

Krogan raised a brow, his lips curled upwards in a menacing manner. "A person can't belong to anyone you say? Well maybe you should take a closer look." he brought his dragon closer to Hiccup who stared at the man in confusion, then in shock as Krogan pulled the collar of his sleeveless tunic down to reveal the scarred flesh of a brand on the top of his chest. "Oh don't look so appalled boy. No one says no to my master, you can either give in or learn the hard way. I really thought your chief knows better than to mess with my master, but apparently not...this fool"

"Viggo Grimborn is not my chief. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir to the throne of Berk." Hiccup snapped more determined than ever to bring this to an end. "And I demand you to stop this madness now! All these deaths, all this suffering...you're doing all that for some maniac?"

Krogan laughed loudly at this. "Some maniac you say? Drago Bludvist is the greatest dragon conqueror the world has ever seen and believe me when I say he has no use for some uppish heirs or chiefs. He will be the only one who rules over all dragons, including yours."

"Well sounds like some lunatic to me if he really thinks he can control all dragons of the world." Hiccup laughed bitterly.

Krogan chuckled, his eyes seemed to grow even darker. "The one who controls the Alpha, controls them all."

"Yeah but the Alpha is..." Hiccup's heart nearly stopped as realization hit him. The Bewilderbeast, the dragon his mother told him who protects and controls all other dragons, the dragon they left alone and unguarded to Drago's forces. "Oh no, no no no..."

"Yes. And when he arrives you better pray he will grant you a quick death...or maybe I should spare him the sight of you and just kill you now."

Krogan pressed his feet into the flanks of his dragon, telling it to attack but Toothless was quicker and dodged the blasting fireball with ease by a quick side roll. "Whoa thanks bud!" Hiccup exclaimed, blood pounding in his ears in dread and anger.

"Hiccup! What do you think you're doing with my son?" Stoick shouted over the yelling soldiers, knocked the flyer he was fighting with out of his saddle and within an instant Skullcrusher rushed to Hiccup's side but stopped in the middle of the way as a bloodcurdling screech split the cold night air.

"What?" Krogan looked around in confusion before his eyes widened in obvious shock. "This little bith." he growled. Eira had not uttered a single word about the fact that Grimborn had a Skrill.

Hiccup's heart skipped a beat as he watched the mighty purple dragon stand on the roof of the Great Hall, spreading his wings wide as sparks of electricity surrounded him. Fulgur's yellow eyes sparkled with fury and in the light of the surrounding fires he seemed even more daunting than he already was.

Two dragon flyers charged towards Fulgur, letting their Singetails fire at him but in the same moment Fulgur shot a lightning blast, hitting the Singetail's fire ball in the air and knocking the flyers out of their saddle with his powerful blast. Krogan growled in outrage as he watched his men fall from the sky.

"Take that lizard down!" he yelled and five more flyers approached Fulgur at full-speed, trying to circle the Skrill - but again they didn't stand a chance against him. No, Krogan would have to take this in his own hands as usual.

His eyes scanned the ground and without minding to pay Hiccup another glance, he urged his dragon to swoosh down while he drew his axe, charging at a hunter warrior who carried a large crossbow.

"Hah! Have you seen that? This Skrill knocks them all down! We can win this!" Stoick exclaimed, flying up to Hiccup and Toothless.

Hiccup didn't respond, all color drained from his face.

"Hiccup! Are you okay?" Valka appeared next to them.

Hiccup gulped and finally met his mother's gaze. "Y-yeah...I'm okay it's just...Mom is there another Bewilderbeast than the one you lived with?"

Valka shook her head in confusion. "Not that I know of, no. But why do you ask?"

Hiccup felt like all blood left his body and his voice shook when he managed to say something again. "Be-because I think Drago is taking it down..."

His mother's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she practically shrieked. "No! I should have never come here! This was all a mistake! He can't take it, I can't allow it!"

Stoick let Skullcrusher fly closer to her and placed one hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm Valka down. "Sh, sh it's okay, it's alright Val. Say what you want to do and I am with you."

She drew in a heavy breath. "I can't let this happen Stoick. We need to get back and save my dragons! I can't stay here any longer, I just can't..."

"You want to leave them all behind?" Hiccup asked, shaking his head slightly. "But the whole island is under attack."

"And they have enough soldiers and a Skrill to protect them, Hiccup. Just imagine what will happen if we don't stop Drago from taking the Alpha..." Valka insisted, already spurring Cloudjumper on to leave.

"Alright Val, we're coming! Right, son?" Stoick looked at his son with grim determination in his green eyes. He would not lose his wife a second time even if it meant to leave his ally behind. But Valka had a point, so far there were only twenty flyers attacking, half of them already knocked out by the soldiers or the Skrill. The hunters could easily manage the rest without them.

Hiccup bit his lower lip, not sure what to do. He couldn't just leave again, not without telling Lilly a single word. She would never forgive him and he also needed his weapon... But if there was a way to reach Drago before he got here and finally talk some sense into him, then he just had to do it. For the dragons and for Lilly's safety. And so Hiccup made his decision.

"Yes dad, I will come with you..."


	81. Chapter 80 - Under Attack part 2

**Lilly's POV**

"He fainted! I...I can't force it in again."

The tube fell onto the floor with a low clank. My hands were smudged black with charcoal and shook so hard that I lost my grip on it.

I still couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. How could my brother of all people be lying next to me on the cold stone floor - poisoned and motionless, the only sign that he was still alive his shallow breathing and occasional twitch of his fingers. It seemed just a few minutes ago that we were dancing and laughing with each other, just minutes ago that we were happy and Viggo perfectly fine.

"It's okay for now, maybe we inserted enough. Just raise his head so he won't choke while he's unconscious." Nanna squeezed my shoulder but I hardly felt it, the first rush of adrenaline was fading away and now I felt like I couldn't breathe as the whole tragedy of the situation trickled into my brain. _What_ _if it wasn't enough? What if Viggo died right here in my arms? No get a hold of yourself Lilly! Viggo needs you!_

Hot tears filled my eyes and dropped down my cheeks. They landed on his face, leaving streaks through the smeared charcoal staining his features. I cradled his head, trying to keep him steady like Nanna said until he wakes up..._if_ he wakes up.

"Please." I whispered, my silent tears swapping to terrified cries and choking sobs in a heartbeat. "Please! Viggo you need to wake up. I can't lose you...not you too...I won't survive!"

"He will be fine, Lilly." Eira's voice shook me back to reality. Looking up I realized she stood a few feet away from me, inspecting a jug of wine with great interest. She sniffed at it and furrowed her brows. "Deadly Nightshade, or Belladonna as we call it in the south, is severe but can be survived if treated immediately, which we did. He will suffer the symptoms for a few more days though."

"How can you be so sure of that? Was that part of your plan too?" my voice was choked and raspy and tears continued streaming down my cheeks.

Fear and desperation held my heart in an iron grip but there was also something else. A deeper emotion rising from within my soul and getting stronger with each labored breath Viggo took - it was like a hidden creature crawling up my spine and this creature demanded blood. I had never felt anything close to it in my whole life before and it scared me - it scared me that I for the first time in my life felt the urge to _hurt_ someone for what happened to my brother.

Eira growled in anger and for a moment we just glared at each other before she finally found her voice again.

"It was not! Why won't you believe me? I helped him, did I not?" she exclaimed and I noticed how she trembled slightly despite her efforts to keep her composure.

"I believe her, Lilly. Words can deceive but not the eyes, they always tell the truth. Eira was not the one who poisoned your brother." Nanna studied Eira's face intently who gave a short nod, fighting with her own tears.

"Viggo used to tell me this...so you are the source of it." Eira mused as she dropped down on her knees next to me, grasping Viggo's hand in her own and leaned in close over his face. "I swear Viggo, if you dare to die on me tonight I'll come after and then I'll _kill_ you...it can't end this way...Viggo Grimborn does _not_ go like this, do you understand?"

Eira's voice shook with emotion and I swallowed thickly, turning my gaze away from her. I was not sure what to think of her intense words but at the same time felt my resistance against her crumbling away. _She seems to be as worried for him as I am._

The screams of battle drew inside and a bolt of lightning flashed outside the Great Hall, startling Eira as well as myself from our state. A buzz of voices caused my head to spin, it was nearly impossible to make out what they were saying and out of reflex I brought one hand to my forehead, feeling slightly dizzy. It seemed that in my panicked state about Viggo I was able to block the voices out of my mind but now they came back in what seemed to be twice as strong.

It was just out of the corner of my eye that I noticed Eira give a small nod towards her men who all moved in time with each other to the backside of the hall, grabbing their weapons. A loud uproar echoed through the hall.

"You came here armed?" came a woman's yell from behind me.

"I told you she planned this all out!" that was Martha's voice.

Eira stood and raised her arms, all emotion she showed just a moment ago seemingly washed from her features. "People listen to me! Your chief has been poisoned and is unconscious. All of your best men are out there fighting a dragon force, which - if the gods wish - can burn your whole island to ashes. We do not wish to do you harm, so for your own safety I ask all women, elders and children to go and hide within the tunnel your chief has prepared for such an occasion. The time has come that the people of Solsteinn take over!"

_What the Hel is she up too?_ I narrowed my eyes as I watched Eira's men spread across the hall, urging our people to move.

"You're not entitled to demand this, nor to take over the command!"

I jumped a little as the doors to the great hall were suddenly thrown open. In strode Magnus, his face smeared with soot and blood but his blue eyes sparkled with determination. He didn't stop till he stood right in front of Eira who crossed her arms and glared at the older man.

"So then who is? Your chief is not able to do anything if you haven't noticed!" she hissed.

Magnus eyes flickered to Viggo's limp body and just for a second I thought I saw them soften with sorrow but it was gone again before I could truly make it out. Magnus extended his arm, raising his gaze to me.

"The lady Grimborn is."

My heart nearly stopped its beat. "What?"

Magnus got into a kneeling position and lowered his voice only for me to hear. "Our soldiers are out there, fighting a war they have not started. A war for reasons most of them do not know. The men are so hard-pressed, many of them killed, so many of them wounded I cannot count them. No one knows if our chief will make it through the night and they are getting discouraged."

"But what could I possibly do about it Magnus? I am not my brother..." I tried to argue but he interrupted me, raising his voice a bit.

"You are the chief's sister and the dragon whisperer! There are dragons out there, we need your help. If you would walk among the men, fight with them it would renew their courage and restore their strength just to see you!"

My heart pounded heavy in my chest. _What am I supposed to do? Oh gods I cannot lead them, I just can't...Viggo please wake up...I can't do this without you..._

Everyone's eyes were on me, doing nothing to help my fluttering nerves and I swallowed thickly before I tried to speak up: "I..."

"Oh come on, she can't even fight properly!" Eira exclaimed, "Lilly, if you really care to protect your people's lives then let my men lead them through the tunnel to their safety. There are ships lying at anchor at the end of it, I've seen them."

Eira had a point, but could I trust her? I lifted my gaze to lock eyes with her but another voice in my head demanded my attention. _"Lilly, Lilly, you need to get out here!"_ It was Shadow. I shook my head, trying to focus - all those different people talking to me...it was just too much.

"I am sure Lilly can fight just fine, at least she can talk with dragons and tell them to stop!" Nanna threw in, putting her hands on her hips.

"Matters of war should be left to people who actually know what they are doing!" Eira retorted.

"And why by Odin should we put our trust in you? You seemed to be very well prepared for all of this, bringing your men here armed and ready to strike." That voice belonged to Ida, Martha's mother who held her daughter close to her.

"That is indeed right." Magnus mused, narrowing his eyes at Eira.

_"Lilly why are you not answering? I need to tell you something!" _

_"Strong...we are too strong, we will burn you all down..."_

Viggo shifted his head slightly and let out a faint moan of distress, his eyes moving rapidly behind closed lids. It hurt me to see him like this and hearing all the different voices trying to get into my head spurred on my fury. I clutched my head tightly...too much, all too much...I couldn't bear it anymore.

"SHUT UP!"

The silence that followed my outraged cry was gravely.

Placing Viggo's head carefully onto the floor I got up and brushed black dust from my dress and tears from my eyes before I stepped forward to Magnus. Sitting here and dwell in self sorrow would not do...would not save my brother and if there were dragons out there then I could maybe indeed help Hiccup, Stoick and Valka to fight them. Also I needed to know what troubled Shadow so bad.

"I will come with you Magnus, but I don't have my sword..."

Magnus gave an approving nod and put one hand on my shoulder. "I'll find you one but if you stay close to me you might not need one at all."

I took a deep, shaky breath. "Okay..."

"What about the people? Lilly think of your brother, he can't stay here." Eira spoke up, coming close to me she continued in a lowered voice. "For everyone's sake I ask you to let me follow my plan. I will keep Viggo save, I promise. Trust me."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask, still not sure what Eira was up to after all. It just made no sense...

"Because you have no alternative." she simply said, her lips curling into a small smirk that made me want to punch her. But damn it, she was right. It was either taking the risk to trust Eira or let our people stay here to be, in the worst case, burnt alive in the Great Hall.

I shared a quick glance with Magnus, uncertain on what to do. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I am afraid she is right."

So it was decided then. I turned to Eira and nodded. "Do as you said, but I swear if anything happens to Viggo..."

"Don't worry Lilly, I will keep an eye on him." Nanna assured me, kneeling down beside my brother.

"So will I." Eira huffed in annoyance. "Now let's not waste any more time."

"I could not agree more. Come." Magnus grabbed me by my upper arm and dragged me towards the double door. I chanced a last glance at Viggo before I reached out to Shadow.

_"Shadow? What is it? I am coming now."_

It took several moments till I heard her exhausted voice in my head. _"I've reached my shot limit Lilly, Jali is fighting too. And Fulgur! He took down three Singetails but there are still too many."_

_"It's okay, Shadow. Maybe I can reach out to those dragons like I did at the auction, remember? What about Hiccup and Toothless?"_

_"That's what I needed to tell you Lilly. I have a message for you from Hiccup. He..." _

But Shadow didn't continue, instead of words her cry of pain filled my head and I shouted out her name as I burst through the doors out into the blazing inferno that raged on outside. A dark figure fell from the sky and crashed into the roof of a burning building a few feet away.

"Shadow!" I cried out, not listening to Magnus yelling at me to stop and stay close to him as I spurted down the steps and almost tripped over the seam of my stupid, way too long dress.

Grabbing the fabric I continued to run without paying attention to the ongoing battle between men and dragons all around me.

"Shadow! Shadow please!" I grew desperate as I tried to reach out to her - but nothing. Not a word. No, no, no...please don't be...

Tears were blinding my vision, I almost made it to the house my best friend crushed into when suddenly a large, yellow dragon landed right in front of me causing me to stumble backwards and landing on my rear. Before I could even think of forming words the dragon opened his snout, the unbearable heat of his building flame burning my skin. Out of reflex I raised my arms in a defensive manner, as if that could stop the flames from eating me alive.

There were heavy, running footsteps behind me and a male voice shouted words I could not understand.

"Kostā daor perzys!" (You may not fire!)

_What? _

I lowered my hands to see Magnus towering over me, his sword arm extended towards the dragon and his rider who seemed furious that the Singetail hadn't roasted us as he ordered him to. "You stupid beast! Burn them!" he shouted, tugging harshly at the chains that were wrapped around the dragon's mouth and head.

The dragon growled lowly but in the next instant shrieked as a bolt of lightning struck behind him. With a furious shout it took off into the air again to fight Fulgur.

_"__Need help dragons daughter?" _his voice resounded in my head.

_"Yes, thank you Fulgur." _was all I managed to answer, still quite shocked about what just happened.

Breathing heavily I pushed myself back up on my feet, staring at Magnus in utter bewilderment. "What did you just say?"

Magnus didn't bother to look at me as he strode towards the house that Shadow crashed into at a quick pace. "Nothing."

"That dragon was about to roast me, you said _something_ and it stopped! How is that nothing?"

I almost bumped into his back as he abruptly stopped and turned to face me. His expression was hard and the look he gave me made me suddenly feel like a little girl again as a memory hit me. It was the look he used to give me whenever I didn't pay attention during my lessons.

"Whatever you think you heard, my lady Grimborn, it does not matter. Now stay close to me, I will lead you to your dragon."

I opened my mouth to respond, to protest that it indeed did matter but got no chance to do so as he grabbed me by my arm once more and led me through a labyrinth of fire and fallen soldiers. I gasped at how tight his grip was. My mind was spinning. What was he hiding from me?

Magnus pushed the door open with his shoulder as we finally reached the house, whirling up dust and ashes from the broken roof. There in a pile of rubble lay the unconscious form of Shadow.

"Shadow!" I cried out, breaking free of Magnus' grip and fell down beside her. Quickly I pressed my ear against her chest and let out the biggest sigh of relief when I heard her steady heartbeat. "Oh my gods she's alive...she's alive." I breathed, rubbing my face into her dark scales.

"Dragon root."

I lifted my head to see Magnus pulling a rather large arrow from Shadow's belly. He inspected it with a frown. "That's one of ours." he observed. "She's not badly wounded, just will be out cold for a while."

"What? But who..." I began when suddenly another bolt of lightning came down close to us, enlightening the small room. Fulgur screeched in fury and lifting my gaze to the large hole in the roof, I saw him circling a large, red Singetail.

Fulgur managed to successfully block a fire blast of the Singetail with his lightning but I could tell that his strength was slowly but steadily leaving him. Something wasn't right here. There were still several Singetails up in the air but Fulgur seemed to be all alone. Where were Hiccup and Toothless? And Stoick and Valka?

"Sorry Shadow, but you will be alright. I need to see what's going on out there." I muttered and got back up to stumble back out of the house. 

_"Toothless?"_ I tried to reach him - but nothing. _"Toothless!" _

Silence. 

I stood there in the middle of a terrible destruction, hungry flames eating away at the town of my tribe. Thick, black clouds of smoke choked the air and burned in my lungs. The sickening sweet smell of burning flesh made me feel like I needed to throw up. I clenched my fists open and closed, chest heaving in heavy breaths as the voices of shouting men and dragons alike pounded in my head to the point I feared it might burst. I squeezed my eyes closed then opened them again - I couldn't stand it anymore.

_"Stop it!"_ I shouted, trying to reach all surrounding dragons and tell them to end this madness. _"STOP!"_

I could as well be yelling at a wall. _This isn't working, why do they not listen_?

"STOP THIS NOW!" I actually screamed on top of my lungs and for one second the large red Singetail and its rider glanced down at me. The dark skinned man's lips curled upwards into a malicious grin but it was the Singetail's voice I heard in my head. It was a female one and suddenly I recognized the voice as the one I heard a few days ago. This dragon must have been around then...

_"You can't tell us to stop, you are not our master!" _

_"Master? But who is?" _

_"Dragons daughter look out! I will blast them up."_ Fulgur warned as he shot down towards the red Singetail once again but before he could reach them, the stranger raised a crossbow - waited for Fulgur to get closer - aimed for his belly and fired. 

_"Fulgur stop!"_ I cried out. 

Fulgur tried to dodge the arrow but the constant fighting had tired him out. The arrow missed his belly but embedded itself into his right wing. He shrieked and instantly started to sway. 

"NO!" 

I watched in terror how Fulgur fell from the sky and onto the ground with a loud thump. 

The falling Skrill caused everyone around the battlefield to freeze in their movements - hunters and dragon flyers alike. 

"Odin help us..." I heard Magnus mutter behind me.

The dark skinned man gestured his flyers to stop their attack for a moment and brought his dragon down right in front of the Great Hall. He stood up on the dragons back and raised his voice for everyone to hear. 

"People of the hunter tribe, I bring you Drago Bludvist's regards!" he gestured widely to the destruction around him with an evil grin. "Your Skrill has fallen as has your Night Fury! Your chief is on the verge of death if he's not dead already! Reinforcements of Drago's army are on their way to wipe you all out! Your allies of Berk have abandoned you, I watched them fly off like the cowards they are with my own eyes! There's no one to protect you, no one to save you!"

"What?" I stumbled and staggered and would surely have fallen down if it wasn't for Magnus holding me up by my waist. I could not believe what I just heard. _They left us alone? No, no this cannot be... but then where are they? Where is Hiccup?_

The door to the Great Hall burst open and out strode Eira together with four of her men. Her red dress flew behind her and her olive green eyes sparkled in the firelight. The dark skinned man turned to face her, his smirk growing even wider at Eira's next words.

"Everything works according to plan, Krogan. I got them all gathered up in the tunnel with my men, they won't go anywhere."

Magnus' breath hitched and he growled lowly but I could hardly make it out. My world just shattered into pieces. _Betrayal...she betrayed us after all...I should have never trusted her..._

I felt like my feet could not carry me anymore, my head spun and I couldn't breathe. I wheezed, trying to wrap my mind around what was going on...only to be not able to. _This is just a dream...it has to be just a very bad dream...wake up Lilly, come on! _

But it was no dream. 

"Traitor!" Magnus yelled and charged forward to Eira with his sword raised only to be stopped by two dragon flyers who blocked his way, raising their own weapons.

"Sir! Magnus!" came a soldiers cry. "Ships were spotted on the horizon, they should reach us within an hour!"

I fell to my knees, shaking violently. _This is not true...this is not true..._

Magnus let his sword drop to his side, looking utterly defeated. So were all surrounding hunters. 

The man called Krogan laughed darkly. "You see? I told you reinforcements are on their way. Although my master is not heartless after all. He also brings you a message. There is one way to save yourselves and the lives of your women and children. Just think about it! Drago Bludvist would consider to let you live if you return what was stolen from him - the dragon whisperer! The sister of your chief! Hand her over and I may show mercy, refuse and we will kill you. Every single one of you, be it a man, a woman or a child."

Everyone's eyes were on me. Burning me. I tried to make myself seem smaller, feeling absolutely terrified. Drago wanted me back...it was me or the lives of the people of my tribe...of Viggo. I tried not to burst out into tears despite the panic and desperation that clutched at my heart. _Hiccup where are you? Why are you not here?_

I dared to glance at the surrounding soldiers and saw their eyes glimmer. They wanted to give me up, it was in their eyes. And maybe they were right, it would save them all...but just the thought of returning to that monster of a man made me wish to die. 

A hand touched my shoulder out of nowhere and I gasped in terror as I felt the hot breath of a woman's voice in my ear. 

"After all you Grimborn's get what you deserve. I told your brother I would make him pay and now is the time." 

I turned my head to look at her and my eyes widened as I recognized the crazy woman that insulted me in Nanna's hut._ Asmund's mother..._

"What are you waiting for?" she suddenly screamed. "Seize her! Don't sacrifice our tribe for that brat!" 

For a short moment nothing happened but then hunter soldiers where rushing towards me. I didn't have time to run or even react. Magnus cried out to stop but couldn't get to me either as two men held him back by his arms. There were people all around me, grabbing my wrists, dragging me forward. I screamed and kicked out but there were just too many. I fell down only to be dragged back up again by my hair. _It hurts...it hurts.._.

They didn't stop till I was standing face to face with Krogan who just smirked down at me. I breathed heavily, trying my best to keep my composure and hide my panic. Not wanting to give him or Eira the satisfaction of seeing me like this. 

"So this is the dragon whisperer my master so badly wants to possess? Well I guess I don't have to understand everything." he scoffed as he hopped from his dragon and stepped close to me. 

_Don't panic. Don't panic Lilly._

"Now, are you coming willingly or do I have to take you by force. I assure you it would be my utmost pleasure." his voice was a low rumble that made my skin crawl in dread.

I never felt so terrified in my life. I glanced around frantically, but seeing the determination to sacrifice me in the men's eyes was almost too much for me to bear. In a last attempt of hope I locked my gaze with Eira, but her green eyes pierced into mine without the slightest sign of compassion. No one would come and save me now...Hiccup was gone...it was me or the death of hundreds of people...

Bringing up all my courage I took in a shaky breath and sealed my fate. "I'm coming..." 

"No! Lady Grimborn, don't!" Magnus yelled and struggled but it was no use. Everything after I said these words happened in a blur. I had just given myself up. I would be Drago's. A slave. Losing everything I loved...Viggo...Hiccup...my dragons...

Somewhere deep down in my heart I refused to believe that Hiccup had abandoned me but my mind kept telling me that he would be here if he hadn't. Right?

I hardly noticed how Krogan grabbed my hands and restrained them behind my back or how he lifted me up onto his red dragon, taking off into the dark night sky. 

Somewhere in the distance I heard him yell. "Take the Night Fury and the Skrill!"

We were flying, high above into the dark clouds towards the dark despair that would be my future. 

At some point we crossed the ships that headed towards our island and I heard Krogan yell at a young man with shoulder long black hair. "Kill them all!"

Realization washed over me like icy water. He lied. He would not keep his word. "No! NO! You said you would spare their lives! You monster!" I screamed, squirmed and kicked out, wanting to hurt that bastard for breaking his word. 

"Shut up!" he yelled.

"NO! NOOO!" I continued to scream and I would not stop for nothing in the world.

A dull pain spread at the back of my head and my world became black. 

\---------------

**Astrid's POV**

"Did you hear that?" I asked, sharing a glance with the rest of the gang and the silver dragon that flew beside me growled lowly.

"Sounds like a woman screaming." Fishlegs uttered and clutched the chest tighter to himself.

"Yes. I just hope we make it back in time." I answered and sharing an unspoken thought we spurred our dragons on to fly faster.

The fire and smoke was the first thing we saw as finally dragon hunters island came into view. My heart nearly stopped its beating. 

"Oh mighty Thor! What happened here?" Snotlout exclaimed, sounding utterly shocked even for his standards.

"It seems they are under attack...Drago is already here." I answered, shaking my head. 

The black dragon let out an outraged roar causing me to jump in Stormfly's saddle and all of a sudden he charged towards the island at an indescribable speed. The silver dragon followed him just as quick. 

"Let's go and keep up with them!" I yelled.

_Oh I just hope we are not too late..._


	82. Chapter 81 - Traitors?

**3rd Person POV**

The young woman's cry pierced marrow and bone.

Robert watched her struggle and squirm until Krogan knocked her unconscious with a blow to the back of her head. For a second her eyes widened in surprise before her body went limp and slumped back against Krogan's chest. He had one arm wrapped around her waist to prevent her from slipping off the dragon's back when he turned his attention back to him, Eret and Bjorn standing on deck of the massive galleon that led the force of Drago's allies.

Robert's fleet contained mostly different sized longships that sailed alongside the huge galleons which were holding most of the larger weapons, catapults as well as dragon traps. And although the mighty vessels were intimidating and strong, Solsteinn's longhsips were smaller and more maneuverable, better in stealthy and agile attacks. Just as their men were.

"Like I just said." Krogan spoke up once more, a malicious grin on his lips. "Attack the hunters, beat them, leave no survivors. Drago does not take any captives. I already got what he was looking for."

He gestured to the unconscious girl with a dark laugh. Bjorn joined in, rubbing a hand over his blond moustache. "Quite a pretty thing that dragon girl. Damn, if Drago was a man for sharing I'd show her how to tame my dragon." He moved his hips in an obscene way causing the surrounding men to burst out in laughter.

Robert flared his nostrils in disgust. He despised Bjorn for talking that way and it sickened him how the men laughed at it. As if it was righteous to talk about any woman in such a way. Robert felt himself shudder at the thought of what kind of life would wait for her and his heart filled with pity for the girl. It reminded him of the time when his own sister was forced to leave their island to marry a man that used to be an enemy of their tribe for years. She had to leave for the sake of peace back then. But his sister still remained a free woman during all of this, which this girl would most likely not be.

"Keep your comments to yourself, Bjorn." Krogan snarled and Robert startled out of his thoughts. "I also have another task for you."

He turned to two Flyers who followed him close behind and with a little gesture of his hand they dropped two large dragons on deck.

Robert inhaled sharply. Before him lied the two of the most powerful dragons he knew of.

He was not the only one who noticed it. Eret's eyes widened and he took one careful step towards the unconscious creatures. "Is _that_ what I think it is?"

"It is." Krogan fixated Eret with a stern look. "And I entrust you, Eret, to take care of these dragons. Do not lose them again like your last load. Drago will not tolerate any more failure."

The promise of Drago's punishment made Eret gulp in fear but at the same time he wanted to object, that it wasn't entirely his fault. Krogan however cut him off just as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Have I made myself clear?" Krogan's voice allowed no objection and so Eret swallowed his witty comeback. He should not play with the odds now. Especially not with Krogan.

"Clearer as clear." he answered, running his hand through his black strands with a nervous chuckle.

"Good. Now don't waste any more time."

With that Krogan pushed his flanks into his dragon's sides and took off to take the girl back to Drago.

Eret snapped his fingers and a group of his men hurried towards the Skrill and the Night Fury to put them into two of the empty metallic dragon traps. Then he turned to Robert, who was staring up into the dark night sky. Probably looking after Krogan and the girl.

"Arrogant bastard. He enjoys being Drago's number one puppet a little too much." Eret grunted, folding his arms across his chest. "By the way he should have threatened you not _me_...I mean it was your fault the riders got away after all."

Robert's lack of reaction made Eret frown. He punched the younger man lightly into his shoulder. "Hey anyone home up there?"

"Huh? What? Oh yes." Robert cleared his throat. "Yes, everything's good."

Eret raised a brow. "Come on Robert, I've come to know you over the past few weeks. What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing, really." Robert lied, faking a smile. "I was just thinking about my sister."

Eret nodded in understanding. "Have you heard anything of her since we sailed off?"

"No." Robert sighed out. "Not a single word."

He leant forward to grab hold onto the wooden railing of the ship as dragon hunter island finally came into their firing range. The whole town seemed to be in turmoil, several Flyers still circling around the town while the first smaller ships got ready to dock. Robert squeezed his eyes in an attempt to get a better view. Could it be?

Heading towards the docks was a figure dressed in a long red gown. Robert didn't have to look twice to know who it was. His heart started to hammer faster as he watched her stop abruptly and stand absolutely still - waiting.

_What are you up to sis_?

\------------  
**Hiccup's POV**

I felt torn inside as Toothless followed my parent's dragons through the dark night sky. Running away or leaving loved ones behind while they were still in danger was not what I do. _What will Lilly think of me? I just hope Shadow can tell her that I needed to go..._

And I did. I really did, right? If there was any chance to intercept Drago before he can reach Hunter island, or even better before he even gets to take the Bewilderbeast of my Mom's nest down, we must take it. Still the tight feeling in my chest wouldn't leave.

Toothless noticed me stiffen in the saddle and turned his head with an affectionate grumble.

"It's okay bud." I said, patting the smooth scales of his head. "When we reach Drago I'll convince him to stop this war. That's what we do, right bud? We show people that there's no need to fight against you guys, but that we can leave in peace together."

Toothless gave an approving growl and sped up to catch up with Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper.

Mom was staring straight ahead, her forehead wrinkled in worry but her eyes sparkled with grim determination.

"How do we know we're even flying in the right direction?" I couldn't help but ask after a while we flew in utter silence.

"Cloudjumper would find the way back to his nest even if he was blind. He'll lead us." Mom replied and turned to look at me. Her face softened a little, she must have noticed my inner struggle.

"Thank you. Both of you." she said "For understanding that I have to do this."

"Of course Val, I will follow you wherever you lead." Dad answered honestly, eyes glimmering with affection for my mother.

I shut my eyes for a brief moment and inhaled deeply. Dad would never leave my mother and I...

I startled when I suddenly felt my Dad's hand on my shoulder. Obviously he had brought Skullcrusher closer and now tried to comfort me. "Don't worry too much, son. Lilly will understand when Shadow tells her why we left. I'm sure she would have done the same thing if she was in your place. And she has a whole tribe behind her back to protect her, she will be fine you shall see."

"Yeah...I just hope you are right Dad..." I sighed, my mind wanted to believe his words but deep down in my heart I felt that something was not right. Trying to shake it off I decided to speak up again, turning to my mother.

"What are we going to do when we reach the nest?"

Mom worried her lower lip for a moment, thinking. "The Alpha is a very strong dragon, he will be able to defend himself and the dragons for a while, but as soon as we reached the nest we need to do everything to protect him...I was thinking that..."

All of a sudden Cloudjumper started to shake his head violently and started to sway causing Mom to hold on tighter to him to prevent from falling. She let out a startled cry.

"Mom are you alright?" I cried out but just an instant later Toothless started to act just as strange as Cloudjumper. "Whoa...bud? Bud! What is it? What's wrong?"

Toothless drifted to the right, I tried to get him back on course but it was no use. He seemed to be in some kind of trance and Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper were no different. All our frantic cries and efforts to get through to our dragons remained fruitless.

My heart started to hammer faster, not able to bring on terms what was going on. "Toothless?" I leant forward, stroking over his head in an desperate effort to shake him out of his trance. "Toothless! Please bud, what's wrong? What is it that you hear?"

No reaction. He just kept on flying towards an invisible force that I could not understand. Not until Toothless, Skullcrusher and Cloudjumper started to fly lower and finally descended from the clouds. A deep humming sound vibrated through the air and now became audible even for me. My heart dropped down to my foot and prosthetic as my eyes fell on what Toothless was heading to.

"Oh mighty Thor...no, please no." I gasped and bringing up all my strength I pulled at the handles of the saddle, trying frantically to stop Toothless from what he was about to do. He however just let out an enraged growl and sped up towards the fleet of about a dozen ships that sailed through the waters below us.

I could hear my parents yelling to their dragons as well. But whatever we tried it didn't help and before I could even clear my thoughts Toothless was low enough for the men standing on deck to spot us.

"Dragon riders approaching!"

"Take them down!"

"Go! Get Drago!"

With a low thump our dragons landed on deck of the biggest ship among the fleet and shook us off their backs. I hissed in pain as the impact caused me to land on my right shoulder but stumbled back to my feet as quickly as possible. "Toothless!" I shouted as a group of men charged towards him, muzzling his snout but he didn't react at all. If anything, he let the men do as they pleased. It freaked me out to the core. _What the Hel is going on here?_

"Get yer hands off my dragon!" Dad roared and instantly drew the single-edged axe he took from one of the hunters back at Viggo's island. With a battlecry he charged forward and knocked three grown man right off their feet.

I reached down to grab my sword as well but cursed under my breath when I was reminded I didn't bring it with me. If I just took a weapon from one of the hunters like my Dad...

Mom screamed loudly and lunged at a man who tried to get to Cloudjumper with her dagger raised.

"Enough!" a deep voice, smooth like gravel echoed over the ship and I inhaled sharply as a familiar large man, cloaked in black dragon skin stepped onto deck.

He let his dark eyes wander around, a menacing smile forming on his lips as his gaze fell onto my mother.

"And so we finally meet again...dragon thief." he rumbled and Mom snorted in fury.

"You will not get the Alpha, you hear me?!" she shrieked but Drago only laughed in his dark, low voice. The sound of it sent a chill down my spine.

"Oh? But I already have. Just look around." he extended his bullhook to the surrounding ships. All around us were cages filled with dragons but also a large amount of them who stood around free but seemed disturbingly calm. They wore a heavy metal armor and kept their heads lowered to the ground. It was obvious that they were controlled by probably the same force that kept our own dragons in trance.

"No..." I breathed, shaking my head. No, it was not supposed to got this way.

Mom screamed in rage and charged at Drago, but he only laughed.

"Cage the dragons and get rid of them." his threatening voice was calm and he turned his back on us as his men lunged forward with their weapons raised.

\---------------  
**3rd Person POV**

"You fools!" Magnus yelled, feeling absolutely outraged by what his fellow soldiers had just done. "How could you give her away?!"

"But Magnus! You heard that man, it was the only way to save our families." one scared looking hunter tried to justify what they just did.

"And you believed him?!" Magnus didn't care to lower his voice, he was furious. "Just look at the port! They are coming nonetheless! You cowards! I'm ashamed to call myself part of your tribe!"

The men lowered their heads at his words and Magnus quickly grabbed Agatha by her upper arm just as she was about to run off. "Where do you think you're going? Our chief won't be pleased to hear what you've done." he growled.

Agatha snorted. "Your beloved chief won't be able to do anything anymore...I've made sure of that. You were always blind to see the truth, Magnus. That this Grimborn pack is nothing but a plague to our tribe."

Magnus tightened his grip on her arm. "So you're behind this whole thing, aren't you?"

Agatha didn't answer but started to laugh hysterically. It was all the answer that Magnus needed. "I will see you punished for this." he threatened her but if anything she just laughed even harder, her voice rising to an unhealthy high shriek and her eyes wide with madness. This woman was not in her right senses.

Yelling voices came from the port and Magnus turned his attention back to the men. "Go and defend our island! Don't back down!" he screamed, urging the hunters on to move while he headed towards the great hall, dragging Agatha with him. Unconscious or not, he needed to get his chief.

The doors fell closed behind him and so Magnus didn't notice the six dragons that rushed towards the island outside.

\----------------

Robert jumped off the ship as soon as it docked at the port and rushed towards his sister. Drago's men, led by Bjorn, drummed their weapons against their shields in order to intimidate the Hunters as they left their ships, one after the other.

Eira's face lit up the moment she spotted her brother among the arriving warriors. She spurted down the gangplank and threw her arms around him as soon as they reached each other. Robert sighed in relief, she seemed to be unharmed.

"I was waiting for your message, what happened?" Robert asked in their native tongue.

Eira drew back but cupped her brother's face in her hands. "I'm sorry Robert. Things got...a bit complicated. Krogan, he caught me here before I could message you and I needed to think of a new plan."

"And Viggo? He didn't harm you, right?" Robert looked her deep in the eye for any sign that she had been hurt.

Eira's eyes saddened ever so slightly. "No he didn't...Robert, do you trust me?"

He squeezed her shoulders in a reassuring manner. "With my life."

"Good." Eira's lips curled upwards in a smile. "Because I have a plan."

A loud roar cut through the air and startled Drago's men and the Hunters alike. Out of the dark clouds appeared the forms of six dragons, darting down to the town. Four of them had riders sitting on their back.

The remaining Flyers shot forward to fight them before they could land but were thrown back by the full force of the fury of two of the dragons. Robert's eyes widened as he recognized who these riders were. How were they involved in all of this?

The large, black dragon dodged a fire ball from a green Singetail before lunging towards the attacking dragon, burying his claws and teeth into the Singetail's flesh. The green dragon screeched and swayed, trying to break free from the black dragon's grip.

"Oh come on!" Eret yelled as the Vikings riding the Zippleback shot down and covered one of their ships with green gas. The female sibling waved down to him with a broad grin on her face.

"Woohoo son of an Eret! I'm here!"

"Ruff! Shut up!" the male one shouted before a huge explosion sent screaming men down from the ship and into the cold ocean.

Eret groaned out loud. "Not again!"

"Shields!" shouted Bjorn as the Deadly Nadder fired her spikes at his men and Eira had to shake Robert a little to bring him back down to earth. His eyes followed the blond girl riding said dragon.

"Robert!" she exclaimed. "Get ready, now!"

He shook his head to clear it and gave a short nod towards his sister before rushing back to command his men.

"All men line up! Get in position!" Bjorn yelled, urging Drago's warriors to move. Eret came to a halt beside Robert, drawing his sword. They shared a glance and nodded at each other, expressing their respect for each other without words.

Soldiers of the hunter tribe were already gathering on the road that led from the port into the town. They shouted war paroles, obviously being encouraged by the unexpected help the dragon riders brought them.

Eira rushed to Robert's side as well, her own sword in hand and followed by four of Solsteinn's men.

Bjorn raised his arm, waited a few seconds and then lowered it quickly. That was the signal to attack. His men spurted towards the Hunters first.

Robert mimicked his gesture and cried out in his native tongue. "Attack the enemy!"

With a roaring battlecry Solsteinn's men rushed forward with their swords raised. Cries of pain filled the air as the first men were struck down by the full force of their attack.

"What?!" Bjorn roared as he spun around and his eyes widened in shock. Instead of attacking the Hunter tribe, the men of Robert were striking down his very own men. Blind fury rushed through his veins. "Traitor! Drago will have your skin for this!" he screamed and took a full sprint towards Robert. Ready to take his head off right now.

\--------------

"Make room!" Magnus exclaimed as he entered the tunnel and squeezed through the frightened townsfolk as well as Eira's men who built the rearguard of the procession of people.

It surprised him, that the soldiers of Solsteinn didn't try to stop him. Weren't they supposed to be traitors just like Eira was? Well that was something he could wonder about later, as long as they didn't try to hurt anyone he was fine with it. There were more important things now.

Eventually he reached Nanna, Martha and Ida who dragged along a wooden cart with an unconscious Viggo lying upon it.

"Nanna!" he called out to the healer and she stopped her movements to turn to him. He shoved Agatha up to the women. "Here. I got the one who poisoned our chief. Do not let her get away. We will have to deal with her later."

Nanna's eyes widened and she let out a surprised gasp. "Agatha? But wh..."

Magnus interrupted her by raising his hands. "Later Nanna. There are more urgent things now. How is he?" he gestured to Viggo.

Nanna inhaled deeply. "Hard to say. He hasn't woken up yet but from what I can tell, he'll live. All thanks to Eira." she directed her last words at Agatha who narrowed her eyes to slits at this information.

Magnus gave an understanding nod and cleared his throat, all the fires outside had made his throat dry and his whole body and face was black with soot.

"Do you need a cup of water?" Martha asked, caring as ever and Magnus nodded his thanks towards her as he took the cup from her hands.

That was just what he needed now.

But instead of bringing the cup up to his lips to drink, he bent forward and poured the water onto Viggo's face.

The chief's eyes instantly snapped open and he sat up with a surprised gasp. Sucking in several deep breaths Viggo started gagging and bent over the cart, throwing up black streams of charcoal mixed with gastric juices. Tiny drops of both sweat and water were dripping down his face when it was done and he flailed his arms as he tried to sit up straight.

"Itz not time for hunting training yet...five more minutes...let me zleep..." his voice still sounded slightly slurred and it was obvious that he had no idea what was going on around him.

Magnus grabbed Viggo's arms to keep him from flailing them around and let out a big sigh of relief. He could talk and he was awake. Their chief would live.

Magnus shook his head in astonishment.

"The gods must love you Viggo Grimborn."


	83. Chapter 82 - Victory or Defeat?

**Viggo's POV**

My head felt like it would explode. I groaned, then shook under a violent coughing fit and tried to bring my hands up to cover my face only to notice that someone was holding my arms in a firm grip. There were crying and whimpering sounds all around me but I could hardly make out where they were coming from. The air around me was cold and I shivered. _Where am I?_

There were other voices too, talking to me or were they?

I raised my head a bit too quickly and instantly regretted it. Damn, that hurt... My vision was blurry but there was a face staring straight back at me. I blinked once, then twice and slowly my vision started to clear.

"Sir...Viggo!"

The face cleared up and I found myself staring back into the blue eyes of a grey bearded man. He kept on talking things that I could hardly comprehend.

"Our people need their chief! We need to get you back on your feet again."

Then the man got up without letting go of my arms and suddenly I found myself being pulled up into a standing position. Black dots danced before my eyes and I groaned, feeling a sharp sting in my stomach. I swayed but was held upright by the grey bearded man, who placed one of my arms round his shoulder while he rested his other arm around my waist.

"Come on chief, you can do it." the voice insisted. It seemed so familiar. I tried to take a step but my feet weighed a ton. I blinked again. The face...that was Magnus. And he needed the chief for something...no wait...oh... needed _me_ for something.

"Tsh...tshief..." I tried to speak, but it came out as a croak. "I am...the tshief..."

"Yes you are and now you need to come with me." Magnus said and only then did I realize his face was black with ashes. How strange.

I swallowed and looked around me, my vision was spinning but I realized I must be in a dark long room crowded with people. Their worried and frightened faces popped in and out of my sight. It was almost like a tunnel...wait a tunnel?

Then I remembered.

We had a feast...but weren't we supposed to be still celebrating? My mind tried to puzzle together how I got into this position but came up blank...the last thing I new was there was the light of a fire, so bright it was almost blinding and a dragon, there was a dragon in the flames and not only a dragon but also...

Something cold was pressed to my lips and I startled from my thoughts. "Here, drink. It will help."

My eyes stared into light blue ones and I had to blink two times till I realized they belonged to Martha's friendly face. I parted my lips and swallowed greedily as water was poured into my mouth. It was an indescribable relief for my achingly dry throat.

Not one drop remained in the cup as Martha lowered it again. I had to cough a few times and my stomach revolted against the liquid it just received but managed to keep it in. Slowly I felt my senses returning and knitted my brows in confusion.

Martha was here? But wasn't she missing?

I raised my head to get a better look and noticed her standing next to Nanna who held Agatha's arm in a tight grip. Martha's neck was awfully bruised but she and Nanna had a look of relief written upon their faces while Agatha glared at me with unconcealed hatred. The walls of the tunnel shook under a violent impact and the sound of screaming men and the roaring of dragons reached my ear.

My stomach stung painfully as the feeling of dread spread through my body. Something was terribly wrong here...

I turned my head to Magnus, who still held me upright. "Wha..." I began but my own voice sounded foreign to me, weaker somehow and my tongue was still heavy. I gulped and tried again. "Wh-wha's goin on?"

\---------------------

**3rd Person POV**

Robert ducked his head just in time.

He felt the breeze of Bjorn's axe graze the top of his head. The violent blow would surely have beheaded him if it wasn't for his quick reflexes.

Bjorn yelled in fury and battered away at the young man as if he wanted to hack him to pieces. Robert dodged his blows with great agility, circling the enraged Viking till he was facing his backside and managed a blow to the blond man's knees. Bjorn hissed in pain and stumbled before spinning round and attacking with full force again.

Robert raised his sword just in the right moment to meet a blow of Bjorn's axe. Both men were sweating and panting as the battle raged on around them. The smell of fire and blood and the screaming of the fighting warriors all around them made it hard to stay focused. But years of disciplined training seemed to pay off for Robert. He counted on Bjorn tiring himself out while he merely avoided his blows before landing an accurate one himself as Bjorn let his defenses down for a short moment. His sword cut into the blond man's shoulder causing him to cry out again.

Their fight went on like that for a while with Robert gaining the upper hand until something else caught his attention. He glimpsed the blue Nadder again, shooting its spines down at a bunch of Drago's men. The blond girl riding said dragon stood up and jumped down with her axe raised high above her head. She screamed out her battlecry as she charged forward at one grim looking warrior.

Robert found himself enraptured by her courage and for one fatal second he let down his guard. He let out a startled cry as he took a kick to his stomach, blowing him off is feet and sending him down onto his back. His sword slipped from his hand but before he could even reach out for it he groaned in pain. Bjorn pressed him down with one of his boots and raised his axe above his head with an evil smirk. Robert's eyes widened in deadly fear. This was it.

But instead of feeling the deadly stroke, Robert gasped in surprise as a blade pierced its way right through Bjorn's chest. The blond man's eyes grew wide and he choked up blood before he toppled over and landed next to Robert. He was dead.

Panting, Robert raised his gaze to look at his savior. It was Eira. She offered her brother her hand and he took it with a thankful sigh.

"Tell me why do I always end up saving your butt?" she scolded, but her lips already twitched upwards into a faint grin.

Robert picked up his sword and gave a shrug. "You can't help it, you're my sister. You couldn't live on seeing me die."

Eira punched her brother into his shoulder and huffed. "Oh get over yourself Robert!"

But then both of them laughed.

"Robert! What the fuck is going on here?!" Eret yelled and approached the siblings at a quick pace. He looked utterly confused by the sudden betrayal of Robert towards Drago's army. "Weren't you supposed to...I don't know...fight on Drago's side!?"

Robert raised both his arms in a pacifying manner and closed the distance between him and the trapper. "I know how it must appear to you, Eret my friend, but in all honesty...I do not believe it is righteous of Drago to eliminate a whole tribe just because of one girl...and I trust my sister's decision, she knows the chief of this tribe. They do not deserve this."

Eret's face turned a bright shade of red in anger and he grabbed Robert by a strap of his leather armor, pulling the younger man close. "Have you lost your mind Robert? Of course these people don't deserve this! Of course it isn't righteous! But do you really think that is going to stop Drago?! No one is going to stop him and his dragon army and as soon as he arrives here and finds out what you did, he'll kill you as well. Not only you but all your men too and your sister!" he gestured to Eira with his head. "And you know what's the worst part!? He'll kill _me_ too! Just because I sailed under your command!"

Eret stopped his rant when he felt a cold blade being pressed to his throat. "Let go off my brother or Drago will be the least of your worries." Eira hissed in a low voice.

Eret instantly let go of Robert's armor and raised both his hands, but his dark eyes stared daringly into Eira's green ones. Although he let go off her brother, she did not lower her blade yet.

"Now you'll listen to me, trapper. You have no idea what my people or even the people of this tribe are capable off. Let Drago come, we'll make sure to give him a _warm_ welcome." she snarled but Eret merely laughed at this.

"You think you can defeat him? You have no idea what kind of weapon he has, he..."

But whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a furious, booming roar that made Eret's skin crawl. The flapping sound of giant wings drew nearer and almost every man, enemy or not, stopped in his movements and watched in both dread and awe as the large silver-grey dragon circled the town, roaring in fury and shooting his blue flames at the remaining Singetails carrying their Flyers.

Whatever the Flyers tried, it was no use. Their Singetails screeched in fear and turned their back on the island, trying to get away from the large dragon as fast as possible. He roared again and landed on the roof of the Great Hall, spreading his wings wide and sending a blast of blue flames after the Singetails.

"Wohoo, way to go big one!" Ruffnut cheered.

"Now leave the rest to us! Come on Hookfang! Snotlout Snotlout Oi Oi Oi!" Snotlout cried out as he and the twins chased after the fleeing dragon Flyers.

"What by Hel?" Eret breathed, completely perplexed by the scene that just spread out before his eyes.

\------------------  
**Viggo's POV**

The walls of the hall vibrated under another loud roar and dust was raining down from the roof as something large and very heavy seemed to hit it. Magnus quickened his pace and I had trouble to keep my own steps up with him as he guided me through the hall.

I tried my best to ignore the pounding pain in my head and to put one foot in front of the other without stumbling at every second step I took. Magnus told me we were under attack, but it was still almost impossible for me to come on terms with how this could have happened...but that roar, that must have been a rather large dragon.

Magnus kicked the wooden entrance door open and I covered my eyes from the blinding light of the raging inferno outside. I had to blink several times until my eyes slowly adjusted.

"Oh gods..." was all I managed to breathe in utter shock at the sight that unfolded before my eyes.

Almost all buildings of the town stood aflame, the bodies of fallen men covered the ground as far as my eyes could see, their blood trickling down the streets like tiny rivers.

But whatever battle was raging on a moment ago, seemed to have come to a halt. Soldiers, my own and the one's of the enemy stood perplexed and stared after a group of dragons that rushed away from the island towards the open sea. But wait I second...

I squeezed my eyes, not sure if I could trust them. I knew those dragons, wasn't that a Gronckle? And a Nadder? Hiccup's friends, they must have returned! But where is...?

I scanned the dark sky frantically for the familiar black dragons, strained my ears to hear that familiar sound that would be followed by a purple plasma blast. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not find them.

Fulgur was no where to be seen either. My chest tightened, I had a bad feeling about this.

"Their Flyers have fled! Attack now! Push them back!" a woman's voice echoed through the town and I turned my head towards the port. _Eira?_

Hunter soldiers yelled and cheered, encouraged by the Flyer's retreat and attacked the invaders with new force, forcing them to fall back to their ships.

"I have to admit, that came unexpected." I heard Magnus murmur at my side when all of a sudden pieces of debris dropped down from the roof behind us and a deep throaty growl caused both Magnus and me to startle.

Magnus spun around, letting go off my arm and I almost fell as the floor began to sway before my eyes at the sudden movement.

"Holy Freya..." Magnus breathed, his mouth agape and his face paled. Confused at what would draw such a reaction of my first counselor, I lifted my gaze as I managed to regain my balance and couldn't help but gasp as well.

On the roof of my Great Hall sat the strangest dragon I had ever seen. His large wings had feathery like silver-grey scales and he was huge, but his eyes were what caught me the most. They seemed to be clouded by some kind of moving fog. The dragon sniffed the air and leaned forward on his clawed wings, before crawling slowly to the edge of the roof.

"What is this?" I breathed, equally shocked as Magnus. I couldn't tell if the dragon really didn't notice us or if he simply decided to ignore us. However he kept his gaze fixed on something on the village square and gave another sound that sounded a lot like a nasal whistle followed by the same deep growl as before.

The same sound was repeated behind our backs and I turned around as quickly as my weak legs allowed me to.

My mouth dropped open as my eyes fell onto another foreign dragon, tossing the lifeless body of a dragon Flyer to the side and it took me several moments to remember how to breathe. I rubbed my eyes, feeling as if I was hallucinating again as that dragon turned his head into our direction and with a deep rumble stepped right through the flames that still raged on all around the town and approached me at a quick pace.

Unlike the dragon on the roof, this one was pitch black but his eyes were of the same light grey color and something about them freaked me out. They had no pupil...

The dragon didn't stop, if anything he quickened his pace as he sniffed the air. I stumbled backwards, my breathing coming in short pants and I flailed my arms helplessly to keep myself from falling, but it was too late. With a low grunt I landed on my rear as the black dragon reached the steps and climbed them up on his clawed wings.

"Chief!" Magnus exclaimed but didn't dare to come closer and risk to provoke the dragon as he finally reached me.

My heart hammered so fast, it actually hurt and I didn't dare to move. The black dragon's snout rested just above my face, the Flyer's blood still dripping from his jaw and onto my cheeks and beard. I watched his nostrils flexing as the dragon inhaled my scent, sniffing me up and down.

Breathing rapidly and chest heaving I dared to raise one shaky hand and brought it close to the dragon's snout. Perhaps if I do it like Hiccup...

My plan failed however. The black dragon tilted his head as he noticed me reaching out to touch his snout and gave a low growl, baring his sharp teeth before snorting his hot breath right into my face as a warning.

"Viggo!" a familiar voice called out to me and within an instant the black dragon drew back, sitting down on his hind legs at my side.

I let out the biggest breath in my entire life before pushing myself up into a sitting position, but my eyes never leaving that dragon. _Okay, I admit that was strange_..._the dragon didn't let me bond with him but he doesn't seem to be aggressive towards me either..._

"Viggo!" the voice came again and I eventually drew my gaze away from the black dragon to notice Fishlegs stumbling up the stairs to the great hall, gasping for air. He was carrying a small, white chest that he held stretched out to me as soon as he reached the top of the stairs.

"Chest...dragon...Lilly...take it." The bulky blond boy was so out of breath, he could hardly speak.

"Easy boy, take a deep breath. That's right. Now try again." Magnus instructed and Fishlegs tried again.

"I need to deliver this chest to Lilly." he finally managed to say.

My eyes widened in dreadful foreboding as I noticed Magnus shift uneasily at the boy's words.

"Magnus!" I gasped, cursing myself for my weak voice. "Where's she?"

\-----------------

**Hiccup's POV**

Drago's men circled us before one of them charged forward at my mother. However he did not expect my father jumping in his way and send him flying back over the deck of the ship with one accurate blow to his chin that was granted to break bones.

"Stay away from my wife!" he roared, rotating the hilt of his axe in his hand and taking a defensive position.

But the odds were not on our side. Drago's men outnumbered us by far and were armed to the teeth while I had no weapon with me and our dragons were still captured in some kind of trance.

One of the men laughed and stepped forward to my father. "Okay so you're the first to die."

Dad rotated his shoulders, pushing his chest out and laughed dryly. "It will take a little more than a bunch of Drago's minions to kill me."

With that he raised his axe and lunged at one of the men, starting the battle. Men were screaming and running towards me, I managed to dodge a blow of a sword that was aimed at my head when suddenly I saw three men tying ropes around Toothless' body to drag him as well as Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher away. My heart dropped and I scanned the deck frantically for the warlord. _This cannot be the way this ends. I need to do something._

"No! STOP!" I screamed, not so much in fear for myself but for someone hurting our dragons, hurting Toothless. With a burst of new strength I manged to push my way through the men and towards my best friend.

My cry seemed to have triggered something in Toothless and for a moment he managed to shake out of the trance like state that was the cause for my parents and me landing here in the first place. He shook his head violently, trying to get off his muzzle and snarled threateningly causing the men who tried to tie him up to back away a bit in fear.

I fell on my knees before Toothless and tried to get the muzzle off of him. Toothless green eyes met mine and I noticed with relief that they seemed clear again. "It's okay, I'm right here bud. Let's just get that thing off of you." my words came out in short pants, not calming as I intended them to be but Toothless purred in understanding.

Unfortunately, being distracted like that, I didn't notice Drago approaching us again. He nodded towards two of his men.

I struggled fruitlessly when large hands grabbed my upper arms and pulled me away from my friend. I kicked and squirmed but it was to no use, they overpowered me way too easily. Toothless growled and swayed his tail furiously but to no avail as well.

At the same time, I had to notice with horror how Dad got unarmed by an amount of men that was too much, even for someone like him. It wasn't long till he and my mother were held down too, Drago's men already busy tying their hands.

The warlord chuckled to himself at our fruitless efforts before he approached me at a threateningly slow pace. I glared up at him with all the hatred I could muster.

"You seem to have a strong bond with your dragon." he mused, scanning first me then Toothless.

I snorted at this. "That is Toothless and he is my best friend. Dragons don't need to be enslaved..."

"Hiccup, don't!" Mom tried to stop me from speaking on, but I was determined to take even the tiniest possibility to change Drago's mind.

Drago chanced a short glance at my mother, then back at me. He raised his brows, eying me up and down once more. "Hic-cup?"

"Yeah, hi." I added sarcastically before I continued. "Dragons are sweet, amazing and loyal creatures and if you show them kindness, they'll do about anything you want. There's no need to fight against them, or to enslave them."

"Oh?" Drago moved in closer to me and I instinctively tried to back away but it got me nowhere, Drago's men still holding me in a tight grip. "Let me tell you something, boy. Dragons are ruthless beasts, that tear people apart." he shoved his dark cloak aside, unhooking his prosthetic arm and revealing his stump. I inhaled sharply, shaking my head in horror but Drago just continued unimpressed. "I know what it means to live in fear, I know what it feels like to lose everything and everyone I loved. But even as I was a little boy I made a vow to myself to rise above my fear of dragons and free the world of this pest and everyone who claims to control them."

"But then why build a dragon army? Why enslave a young girl?" I hissed.

"You need dragons to conquer other dragons, boy. That girl is nothing but another dragon that needs to be controlled." Drago rumbled, adjusting his prosthetic again.

I flared my nostrils in disgust. "So what? You think you can turn her into some war machine to help you to become unstoppable? To rule the world?"

Drago laughed darkly. "Very clever."

"That is insane! The world wants peace and we can show you..."

I was interrupted by the sound of large flapping wings drawing closer to the ship. Drago lifted his gaze and I followed him. Above our heads appeared the large, red titan wing Singetail that I recognized as Krogan's. He landed on deck with a low thud. My heart dropped as I recognized the unconscious form of Lilly resting slump against the dark man's chest.

"Lilly, no!" I gasped and started struggling again.

Drago chuckled and let his gaze wander from Lilly to me with a satisfied smirk.

"Or maybe it is time to show you something." he rumbled, stepping up to Krogan.


	84. Chapter 83 - Witness true power...in the face of it, you are nothing

**3rd Person POV**

Drago hummed softly to himself as he looked over his unconscious dragon whisperer.

"I'm pleased to see you didn't fail me, Krogan. Now wake her. It's time to teach my little dragon a lesson and show her what it means to have true power." he purred in a low and dangerous voice.

Krogan chuckled and nodded obediently before bringing one hand round Lilly's head to pinch her nose, while his other one covered her mouth, knowing that the human body was bound to regain consciousness when it found it could no longer breathe. Of course there would have been other ways to wake her, but Krogan found them not nearly as amusing.

"Get your hands off of her!" Hiccup yelled in outrage, his struggles increasing against the men holding him. He kicked and intuitively slammed his metal foot down on the toes of the man on his left. The man cried out and let go of Hiccup's arm, but his action only brought him a short moment of freedom. Before he even got the chance to rush over to Lilly, Hiccup found himself taking a hard blow to his face. His world spun as he dropped down on the wooden planks, blood dripping from his nose.

"Hiccup!" Valka cried out, chest heaving with fear for her only child and it took five grown men to hold Stoick back from running to his son.

Drago merely smirked at the boy's pathetic efforts. "Tie him up." he rumbled before walking over to the ship's railing and staring at the bubbles forming on the water surface. The boy seemed to be very concerned for his dragon whisperer, making Drago assume that they must be close to each other. Good. This would make his lesson even more _effective_.

Lilly's body twitched, the first sign that she was waking up and it didn't take long till the twitching became full fledged movement as her eyes snapped open and she struggled to breathe. Krogan removed his hands from her face, allowing her to suck in deep breaths of air.

**Lilly's POV**

My chest heaved as I desperately sucked in air, fearing that it would be taken from me again. A pulsating pain spread from the back of my head down my neck to my shoulders as if I got hit by something. Someone was chuckling behind me and I frowned in confusion. _Where am I? _

"Finally decided to wake up, hm?" a silky voice mocked behind my back.

An inevitable gasp left my throat as realization stabbed me hard in the chest. Krogan, this was _Krogan_ talking to me. He brought me back to Drago...brought me back because my own people abandoned me...and then he ordered to kill them all nevertheless...

Hot tears burned behind my eyes and I let out a strangled sob as my eyes fell on the scarred face that haunted me in my nightmares. A twisted grin spread on Drago's lips and it made my stomach clench with fear. I knew he was going to punish me for escaping...it was in his eyes. _Oh gods...what is he up to?_

"Lilly!"

My heart stopped its beat for a second. That voice. I dragged my gaze away from Drago and gasped loudly as my eyes fell on Hiccup, who struggled as two of Drago's men dragged him away to the front mast of the ship. His nose was bleeding but I noticed with relief, that he didn't seem to be injured otherwise. But what was he doing here? And it was not only him. I noticed with horror that Valka, Stoick and the dragons were captured as well. It made my heart hammer with a new wave of dread. So they didn't leave us, they got captured...

"Let go off me! Lilly!" Hiccup shouted and I couldn't stay still any longer.

"Hiccup!" I cried out and yanked myself away from Krogan and off his dragon only to fall face forward onto the hard wooden planks. For a moment I had forgotten that my hands were still bound behind my back and that stupid dress didn't help either.

Drago laughed lowly, stepped up to me and I shrieked when he hauled me up by my hair. Tears stung in my eyes from the tight grip but I willed myself to not let him see my fear, glared at him instead. Drago however seemed completely unimpressed by that, if anything he was amused.

"Drago! I swear if you dare and touch them!" Stoick shouted, his face red with fury as he struggled to free himself.

"What then? Stoick the Vast, proud chief of Berk..._you_ are at _my_ mercy." Drago scoffed and I whimpered as he dragged me along till we were standing right in front of Hiccup who struggled fruitlessly as he was bound to the mast.

"Lilly! I'm so sorry..." his voice shook with emotion. "Let her go, Drago! You have no right to do this! Have you no pity?"

"Your friend makes a passionate plea. Or is he your lover, hm?" Drago purred in my direction and laughed under his breath.

"Please Hiccup, it's useless..." I hoped he would just stop talking, for his own sake. Only the gods knew what Drago would do to him if he kept on provoking him.

His green eyes met mine and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from sobbing out loud. His gaze was full of worry and fear, not for himself but for me. That knowledge was almost too much for me to bear. _This is wrong, so very wrong. He shouldn't be here, they all shouldn't be here...Drago just wants me, he doesn't need them so..._

"It...it's okay Hiccup..." my voice hardly worked but I willed myself to say these words, tears streaming down freely now. Maybe if I obeyed Drago and stayed he would let them all go. "I..."

"No!" Hiccup interrupted me, the ropes that bound him to the mast cutting into his skin as he leaned forward. "It's not okay! There doesn't have to be a war Drago! If you would just listen for a moment..."

"SHUT UP! Now you'll listen to me!"

I flinched at Drago's outburst and within a second found myself being pushed ruthlessly to the side as Drago stepped closer to Hiccup at a menacingly slow pace. He nodded to one of his men and I watched in horror how the man forced a strip of cloth into Hiccup's mouth, trapping his tongue so he could speak no more and tied it around the back of his head. Hiccup's breathing came in short, rapid pants now.

"You think you have power over dragons? You even think you can persuade me that these beasts can be trained and kept like pets?" Drago spoke to Hiccup in a mocking voice and made a short gesture towards Toothless who growled lowly, tugging at his muzzle with one claw in an attempt to get it off. Hiccup made a defiant sound behind the gag and gave Drago a hateful glare.

"It is time for you to face the horrid creatures they really are, boy." Drago continued and smiled before turning to the man who just finished tying up Hiccup. "Take the night fury's muzzle off."

Then Drago was turning around, raising his bullhook high in the air and started to scream loudly. I flinched again from the sound of it and Hiccup's eyes widened in confusion. The water started to churn and the ship swayed dangerously from the movement. _What is going on? _

I only had a short moment to wonder when suddenly the head of a gigantic Bewilderbeast emerged from the dark waters. For a second I thought it was Konungr till I realized that this dragon was darker and tied up in cold chains. The Bewilderbeast let out a deep rumble and I had to squeeze my eyes shut as a pounding pain shot through my head. All surrounding dragons bowed their heads in submission with faint whimpering sounds at the appearance of the large dragon.

"No! NO!" Valka screamed, her voice shaking with fear. Drago only laughed.

Toothless, now free of the muzzle, instantly jumped towards Hiccup and sniffed him up and down. Muffled sounds left Hiccup's mouth as he tried to reassure Toothless that he was fine...well sort of.

I snapped my eyes back open and reached out to him. _"Toothless! What happened?"_

Toothless turned his head to face me, his big green eyes filled with guilt. _"It was my fault...I couldn't resist the sound of it..." _

_"__Of what? Uh, never mind...do you think you can get Hiccup out of here?"_ I quickly asked. If Toothless was free now, maybe he had a chance to escape with Hiccup if I could distract Drago for a moment.

Drago's voice, however, interrupted us before Toothless could answer.

"Now witness true power. The power of will over other's. In the face of it..._you_ are nothing." Drago pointed his bullhook at Toothless, then at Hiccup and the Bewilderbeast's eyes followed the movement.

There was another voice resounding in my mind now and I gasped in horror at the command it directed at Toothless. _"Kill the boy."_

Toothless began to shake his head, fighting against the invisible force that tried to take control over him.

_"__Toothless no, don't listen!"_ I pleaded, hoping he would be able to shake it off.

"No dragon can resist the Alpha's command. So he who controls the Alpha, controls them all." Drago's eyes fell on me with an evil grin that made my skin crawl. "But please go ahead little dragon whisperer, try and save your lover. Show me if you can stop my Alpha...or let him die." He pointed at Hiccup, whose eyes moved rapidly from Toothless to me in both confusion and fear. He wasn't able to hear the Bewilderbeast's command and therefore could not comprehend what was going on with his best friend.

_"Kill the boy! Do as I say, I am your Alpha!"_ the Bewilderbeast growled again.

No! I could not let this happen. Quickly, I pushed myself up on my feet again and stepped in front of Toothless who was still trying to fight the Alpha's command. If my hands would've been free, I would have cupped Toothless face in them to make him look at me. But all I could do now was try and reach him with my mind.

_"No Toothless! Don't do it! Hiccup is your best friend!" _I pleaded.

Toothless did no respond, nor look at me. The only sound he made was something between a whimper and a low growl while he rubbed his claws over his face in an attempt to shut the Alpha's voice out.

_"A dragon has no human friends! Follow my order, Toothless. You can't resist me. Kill him now!_" the Bewilderbeast continued unimpressed.

Growing angry I raised my eyes to meet the large dragon's ice blue ones.

_"Of course dragons can have human friends! Stop telling Toothless these things! Who do you even think you are?!"_

The Bewilderbeast chuckled darkly, the sound of it vibrated through my mind and down my whole body. I shuddered at the feeling.

_"I am the Alpha of all dragons. No dragon dares to resist my command and neither will you. Together with Drago, I'll rule over them all."_

The Bewilderbeast's eyes became thin slits and suddenly I found myself unable to draw my gaze away from them. My head pounded and heart hammered as I tried to shift away from the hypnotizing gaze. Never before had something like this happened to me. How is this possible? I am _not_ a dragon! My eyes grew watery from staying open without blinking for so long and I clenched my bound hands to fists in determination to not give in.

_"How can you help this madman! Don't you see that he's misusing you? You are his slave! And you are not the Alpha of all dragons...there is still Konungr!"_ I shouted.

The dark dragon laughed again and I flinched at the sound of it. _"Konungr?"_ he spat. _"That weakling is no more."_

My eyes widened in shock._ "What?"_

_"Yes you heard right little dragon. I killed him and now every dragon is bound to listen to me and Drago."_

_"No!"_

_"Yes! Now Toothless, do as I say and kill the boy! Kill your human friend._"

_"I can't. I can't do this."_ came Toothless' weak voice.

_"Kill him."_ the Bewilderbeast said again, sharper.

_"No Toothless! Don't!"_ I tried my best to shut out the pounding pain in my head.

_"You can't fight me dragon whisperer. You are weak. You ran off when your grandfather and brother most needed you."_

Now these words stabbed me right into my heart like a sharp knife and the feeling of guilt twisted it around. _"No...I...they told me to leave..."_

_"Kill the boy Toothless."_ the Bewilderbeast insisted.

Toothless seemed unable to fight the command any longer, his large black pupils turned to thin slits and he turned to Hiccup, opening his mouth ever so slowly.

_"No...Toothless no!"_ I begged, but my mind was weakened.

The Bewilderbeast spoke to me again. _"You are a coward! That's why you left! A coward and weak...unable to help yourself! How does it feel to let granddaddy and brother die?"_

A sobbing sound left my mouth and I dropped to my knees as the feeling of guilt knocked me over.

_"It's all your fault! No one would've died if you just gave in to Drago in the first place! Now your whole tribe will be wiped out. It's your fault alone!"_

_"Stop...please, please stop it..."_ I sobbed, the Bewilderbeast's words too loud in my mind, his presence filling my whole being - suffocating me.

_"Only you can make it stop...let me in and I'll ease your pain."_

The voice was caressing now and so tempting. No more pain, no more guilt. But I couldn't...

A blue light formed at the back of Toothless mouth.

_My fault. It's true. Everything is my fault. Everyone dies because of me. _

Tears streamed down my face as I lifted my gaze. Wide, green eyes met mine - deadly fear was written upon the face that I've come to love so dearly.

Hiccup.

Toothless took a step forward, his tail swaying threateningly and a high pitched sound emerged from his mouth.

HICCUP!

"NO! Toothless!" I screamed but it was too late. I had fallen for the Bewilderbeast's trick, let myself get distracted.

"LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!" a shout came from behind me.

Everything after happened in a blur. There were more screams and shouts of pain, clanking of metal, the smell of blood.

Heavy footsteps and a flowing brown fur cape.

Toothless fired and a woman screamed. Drago laughed as did the Bewilderbeast.

_Hiccup. No, no he can't be gone._

The pounding pain in my head disappeared and slowly my vision became clearer.

Toothless stood a few steps away from me, smoke emerging his open snout. Then his pupils widened again and he shook his head, not comprehending what just happened. One second he was free and in the next a group of men charged at him, binding him down and putting his muzzle back on.

I yelped as large hands yanked me up to my feet again. Then a rumbling voice was in my ear. "I must say I am disappointed. I truly expected more of you little dragon. It seems in the end it wasn't you who saved your dear friend..."

_What?_

I lifted my head and gasped in a mix of relief and terror. Hiccup was still bound to the mast, sobbing and panting but perfectly alive and unharmed. He struggled furiously now, wanting to break free to reach the mass of brown fur lying at his feet. I couldn't hold back the despairing whine that crept up my throat.

That was Stoick lying there. Dead.

Stoick the Vast was _dead_.

_It's because of you. _An evil, mocking voice shouted at me in the back of my head.

I whimpered, couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks as I heard Valka mourn loudly.

Drago tut-tutted, then chuckled as he dragged me with him towards the lifeless body of my future father in law. A man that had showed me nothing but kindness from the first day we met.

"Now look what you caused." he said lowly. "All of these deaths just because you fled from me."

_No! I didn't mean to...I didn't want anything of this to happen._ But no words left my mouth. I was unable to speak.

I lifted my head and for a moment Hiccup's teary eyes met mine. There was so much pain in them...so much pain and also something else, more subtle but still there...blame. I bit my lower lip and sobbed helplessly, I couldn't live on if Hiccup would really blame me...

His eyes softened however as we continued to stare at each other and now there was only a deep sadness present in them.

Drago's voice seemed far away as he spoke but I found myself struggling and screaming as the meaning of his words trickled into my conscious mind.

"Throw him overboard." he commanded.

I watched in horror as Drago's men, led by Krogan, picked up Stoick's body and threw him off the ship into the deep, cold sea.

"What about the woman and the boy?" Krogan asked with an evil grin.

"Let the woman reunite with her husband. But keep the boy. He will proof to be useful...isn't that right, little dragon?" he rumbled darkly but I hardly listened.

I just continued to scream, kick and struggle as I was picked up and yanked over a large shoulder and had to witness how Valka was dragged over to the railing by Drago's men before they pushed her down and she submerged with a high pitched scream.

The last thing I saw before Drago took me under deck was Hiccup struggling furiously and screaming behind his gag before Krogan stepped up to him and punched him hard against his temple. Hiccup's head fell limply to the side.

No.

No!

This isn't true. All of this isn't true.

Stoick.

Valka.

Hiccup.

Viggo.

Everyone is going to die if not dead already.

And all because of me.

It's my fault.

I should be the one dying!

Not them.

Me! But not them!

They don't deserve it!

I do.

I do deserve to die.

I wish Drago would just kill me.

He wins.


	85. Chapter 84 - It's not over yet

**3rd Person POV**

Ice cold water closed in around Valka, filling her with a deep dread. Her husband was dead. His lifeless body sinking deeper into the darkness just beside her. No! No she could not let him go like this. In a rush of pure adrenaline Valka reached out and got hold of Stoick's fur cloak. Luckily her hands were not bound, but the heavy weight of her husband's body dragged her deeper down into pitch black darkness. Her heart was beating rapidly in panic. But she just couldn't give him up...she couldn't.

Valka held her breath as long as she could, too long in fact. Red and black splotches danced in front of her and she couldn't remember if her eyes were opened or closed. The coldness she had felt upon entering the water was completely gone. A desperate hot wave had come over her, warming even her frosted toes. She couldn't take it anymore. The urgency for air was more apparent than ever. She opened her mouth in a desperate, voiceless cry that resulted in her sucking in splashes of salty water.

There weren't red blotches in her field of vision anymore as the ocean sucked her strength out of her body. It was all black.

The fur cloak slipped out of her hands. Stoick was gone, somewhere deep down on the ocean floor and so would she be.

Her only son was in the hands of a madman. Her Bewilderbeast was dead, all the dragons it protected were lost. And it was all her fault. If she would have just stayed in her Sanctuary nothing of this would've ever happened. She hadn't returned all these years because she feared that her presence would only bring Stoick and Hiccup into danger...and now her greatest fear had come true. If she just stayed...

Valka's lungs burned, but soon she didn't feel anything anymore. Her movements slowed down, stopped even and soon she was floating in the waters like a doll.

When something grasped her fur hood she was unaware, but slowly she was towed upwards to the surface.

The ice cold air hitting her body was like a shock that forced Valka's body back to consciousness. She coughed and spitted up splash after splash of salty water. Her chest heaved as she struggled to suck in precious air.

Air? Wasn't she supposed to be dead by now?

Valka blinked several times till she noticed she was dangling just above the water surface, a purring sound drew to her ear from behind and she turned her head slightly to get a glimpse of her retriever.

"Jali..." she croaked out, not trusting her eyes and the Scauldron gave a sad purr. Valka looked around, shivering uncontrollably now.

Drago's ships were a black dot in the distance as they continued their way towards Hunter Island. The Bewilderbeast was gone too and his hypnotizing influence with him.

Valka sobbed in despair, her teeth chattering violently. "Ja- Jali g-get us b-back...p-please..."

With a swift motion Jali put Valka on his back, trying his best to not dive to deep into the water to keep her out of it. Valka clutched her arms around his thin neck as the Scauldron hurried to bring her back to the shore.

But it was cold, so cold. Valka felt a sudden tiredness come over her and soon consciousness left her again.

\-------------

**Viggo's POV**

I didn't know how I found the strength to move. Everything seemed like a blur. One moment Magnus told me my sister was gone - taken by a man called Krogan and in the next I found myself stumbling down the steps of the Great Hall, screaming till my voice got hoarse and I ended up coughing and panting. It didn't stop me. Anger boiled deep in my system, as hot as bonfire. It churned within, hungry for destruction, hungry for blood.

I had no weapon, but I didn't care - I would rip them all apart with my bare hands if I must. Finally I reached the edge of the battlefield. However, I had to stop for a moment, hands resting on my knees as the world around me started to spin. Although I had thrown up most of the poison, its aftereffects were still consuming my body. I let out a frustrated shout.

_Damn it all! I should have been there for Lilly! How could I have been so thoughtless during the feast!_

One of Drago's soldiers must have heard me scream as he spun around and in the next instant advanced me at a quick pace with his sword raised high.

Blame it on the effects of the poison racing through my system or blame it on my unbound rage, I really didn't know why but I straightened and clenched my hands to fists in grim determination to end this bastard, if I had a sword or not.

The man lunged at me with a battlecry which I returned with all the voice I had left, but just before he reached me the man stopped dead in his tracks – eyes wide in fear. I almost laughed out loud. _Did I look that fearsome?_

It was only when I heard a deep growl behind me that I realized the man was not afraid of me, but rather of the black dragon that towered right behind me. An involuntary yelp escaped my lips when suddenly the solid ground beneath my feet was gone and I dangled in the air, the dragon lifting me up by the back of my tunic.

"Put me down you crazy dragon!" I yelled and thrashed about like a worm on a fishing hook.

The dragon turned his head and just like that, he let me fall. I hissed in pain as I landed right on my butt a few feet behind the dragon. He however paid me no mind and opened his snout to release a furious roar. It didn't take more than that for the soldier to drop his sword and run for his life, screaming.

I stared at the black dragon in bewilderment and stumbled back to my feet, my vision started to sway again in the process. He turned his head and perked his ears, probably trying to figure out where exactly I was standing. The initial shock I've been feeling began to give way to annoyance. "I could have handled that very well on my own, dragon."

There was a snort and a rustle across the floor. Before I knew what was happening, I landed on my butt once again, the dragon's tail brushing me right off my feet. I groaned and the dragon..._chuckled_?

"Fall back! All forces, retreat!"

A cry split the air, pulling me from my thoughts and I got up quickly. Drago's army was retreating, the dragon riders and the foreign dragons seemed to be the trigger point for them to head back to their master. The black dragon took off with a loud roar, burning Drago's men as they ran back to their ships.

I should have felt relieved that our enemy was falling back from our island but how could I be when my little sister was back in the hands of that madman? No there was no way I would stay here.

"Fulgur!" I cried out for my dragon but he didn't appear. Taking a few steps down the path to the port I suddenly found myself trapped in a tight embrace. Hands moved from my shoulders to my face and a pair of olive green eyes looked straight back at me.

"Viggo! My gods you're alive and you're on your feet." Eira sounded breathless and I couldn't help but stare, not able to reply anything. Her eyes seemed to stand out even more brightly from her blood covered face.

"Look!" she pointed to the retreating army behind us. "They're leaving! We've won Viggo!" Eira was beaming up at me, the thrill of victory brightening her face. "Now you can recover, come let me take you back."

It took me several moments till I found my voice again but when I finally did, I shook my head and shoved Eira away.

"I don't want to recover yet. I want my sister." I turned away from her to find my dragon, not noticing how Eira tightened her lips in discontent.  
  


**AN: I know this is only a short chapter but it will be easier for me to continue with the break of the next day if I leave it here. :) Promise to update asap.**


	86. Chapter 85 - Back in the hands of a madman

**Lilly's POV**

Panic was causing my chest to constrict and I felt like I couldn't breathe as Drago carried me along a long wooden corridor under deck. My mind was unable to process what just had happened, how could Valka and Stoick be dead - within a blink of an eye? And Hiccup...

The knot in my stomach tightened at the thought of what Drago might do to him. It was my fault he got into this situation in the first place. I couldn't help it, I let out a heartbreaking sob - my tears disappearing in the mass of black dread locks over Drago's shoulder. I heard a door creak open somewhere behind me and was left to gasp as I was suddenly dropped onto the floor like a sack of flour. Drago towered over me, his dark eyes piercing right into my soul and his mouth curled upwards in that twisted grin of his.

A rush of unwanted memories hit me, of ice cold sea water and the hissing sound of a whip slashing down on my body. "Please..." I whimpered, not even knowing what I was pleading for.

"I should have known that old fool was up to something. His interest in you was suspicious but I took it off as him feeling pity for you, like he always did with my new dragons. But it was not that, wasn't it?" Drago rumbled, ignoring my whispered plea while he walked over to a large wooden chair that stood in front of a dark wooden table. He let his bullhook rest against the wall before he took his dragon skin cloak off and casually threw it over the back of the chair.

I tried to calm my breathing as I chanced a glance around the room. It was a large, square chamber that was empty aside from the large table and chair and several dragon cages, all empty, standing around the room. There was a fire just dying in the hearth. The walls were decorated with the skulls of various dragon species and shuddering with disgust I lifted my gaze to the ceiling. Several strange looking hooks were inserted into the wooden beams as well as into the wall across from me. I tilted my head slightly as I tried to make sense of them. It, however, became startling clear when Drago approached me again, a strange looking metal cuff that had a chain attached to it hanging from his hand. It was too big to be for my arms and there was only one cuff. What was that for? I hated that I was about to find out.

Drago yanked me back up to my feet and I flinched when his thick fingers grazed my neck, brushing my hair aside. Before my mind could process what was happening, I found myself being pushed up to the wall, the cold metal cuff closing around my neck and the chain attached to it secured into one of the hooks emerging from the wall. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, being chained up by a metal collar made me feel dehumanized. Which was probably the point. Drago squeezed my chin between his thumb and forefinger and leaned in with a satisfied smirk.

"I heard it all, the stories of a bloodline descending from the first dragon and from that moment on I knew it was my destiny to find this hidden island. And I did." He chuckled when I gasped at his words and continued in his low rumbling voice. 

"Oh yes the old fool was stubborn. But where has it gotten him, hm? I will never forget the look on his face when his own dragons turned against him, when the beasts he considered as friends burned each and every one of his people under the command of _my_ Alpha. There is no withstanding against me. I am the god of all dragons. All these years he tried to hide the truth from me, but I know a dragon when I see one even if he surprises you by looking very human. Now the old fool is dead and _you_ are in my hands as you were fated to be, little dragon. You will help me conquer the world."

"Like Hel I will...you're sick..." I snapped, wanting the words to come out defiant but my voice sounded raw and pinched and it came out just above a whisper.

Drago chuckled lowly and let go off my chin to eye me up and down. Then, without warning, I was slapped hard across my face. I cried out, lost balance and fell to my knees - well I would have if it wasn't for the metal cuff around my neck holding me up and successfully choking me. The chain was not long enough for me to get into a sitting position. Tears formed in my eyes from the pain as Drago hauled me up again by my hair.

"Do you still need more persuasion? Wasn't seeing two of you friends die enough for you? Well I can help you with that." he growled, tightening his grip before he suddenly let go, leaving me gasping and trembling. 

"Bring me the boy!" 

My eyes widened in terror as I stared at Drago standing in the doorframe. I knew what he was planning to do. He would hurt Hiccup to punish me, because I refused to bow to him. Panic consumed my body and my chest heaved. "NO!" I cried out, stumbling forward as far as the chain would allow me without strangling myself. "No! Please! I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt Hiccup!" I begged. 

Drago approached me once more at a menacingly slow pace. "Oh, you will do exactly what I want, when I want it. But still you dared to flee from me in the first place, I cannot let this go by unpunished." 

"But I thought...the Bewilderbeast..." I stammered, a cold sweat began to spread between my shoulder blades. 

"You think that was your punishment?" he scoffed as he came to a halt right in front of me. 

Before I could answer, the door was pushed open and in came Krogan - a still unconscious Hiccup hanging from his shoulder. A dark bruise stained the left side of his face.

"No...please...Drago please..." I pleaded in despair. 

Drago's lips twisted upwards in the tiniest of cruel smiles. "Prepare him." 

It was a simple command but Krogan seemed to know exactly what his master meant. I wondered how many times he had already prepared people for whatever Drago had in mind and how many of those people left the ship in one piece. My chest heaved as my breathing quickened. "Take me!" I blurted out, my eyes seeking Drago's who stared at me with an unreadable expression. "I am the one you wanted...so hurt me...but please leave Hiccup alone." I couldn't believe what I was saying. That I actually had to. But I would take any punishment Drago came up with in his twisted mind if it meant Hiccup would be safe. No one should suffer because of me anymore. 

There was a rustle of fabric in the background and I heard Krogan chuckle darkly. Drago mimicked the sound. "Don't worry, I will." he almost purred in amusement. "Once I am finished with your friend. The great dragon master of Berk."

Oh gods... I felt like I was going to be sick. This had to be a nightmare, right? All of this couldn't be really happening. Surely this was just my mind playing nasty tricks on me. It was the only option that made sense. This was all a bad dream. Any moment I would wake up in my very own bed, safe and far away from Drago. Hiccup will lie next to me and when we got up we would meet my brother, Stoick and Valka to have a feast. Everyone would be safe and sound. All of this isn't real.

But I didn't wake up. 

Instead I had to watch as Hiccup was stripped off all of his clothing and a rope tied around his wrists. Krogan then maneuvered the rope through one of the hooks on the beams and Hiccup, still out cold and gagged, was hauled up with his arms risen above his head and stretched out until he was balancing on the tips of his toes. His prosthetic was taken from him as well. It broke my heart to see him this vulnerable and I shuddered in terror of what was to come next. Tears started to form behind my eyes and I had to focus on my breathing to not lose my mind.

"All done Sir." Krogan said and stepped back to the table, arms folded behind his back.

"What are you going to do to him?" I couldn't help the words slipping from my tongue although I already feared the answer. 

Drago gave me a gloating look before he stepped up to Hiccup, circling him slowly. "Whatever it takes to break you little dragon. Now Krogan, why don't you wake our guest?" He shared a glance with his second in command who smirked devilishly. 

"Aye Sir." Krogan sneered and I was left to gasp as my eyes fell on the object he lifted from the table. It was a whip. But instead of one tail, this one had nine. 

"Please don't!" I cried out to no avail.

A hissing sound followed by a sharp crack and Hiccup's eyes instantly snapped open. Morning broke to his muffled scream, his back arching painfully as the first rays of sunlight made their way through the tiny window of the chamber. 

\---------------------------

**3rd Person's POV  
**

The dawn came with an almost ghostly silence. The battle against Drago's forces was won, but now the first rays of sunlight revealed the destruction of the hunter town in its horrible entirety.

Black dust hung in the air and invaded Magnus' lungs as he walked between the still smoking ruins. He had ordered the Hunters to put out the fires and remove the bodies of the fallen from the streets to pile them up at the edge of the town. There they would be burnt later.

Now he was making his way back to the Great Hall, walking by a group of Solsteinn soldiers who helped along with the Hunters. The fact that Eira's brother Robert arrived along with Drago's forces only to switch sides during the attack was something Magnus still needed to process. Not that he wasn't grateful for this turn of events. It did indeed save their whole tribe from certain death. It just made him wonder why Robert would travel along with Drago in the first place.

A crooning sound drew him from his thoughts just as he was about to enter the hall. He turned and his eyes fell on the large silver dragon, who sat on his hind legs in front of the hall. He was too large to fit inside. The dragon lowered his head towards Magnus and sniffed several times, taking in his scent. The dragon crooned again and nudged Magnus' shoulder with his snout. Magnus gulped before he found the courage to step closer to the dragon. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, but could it be? For all he knew it was just a legend, a fairytale his own mother used to tell him when he was just a boy. The power of dragon blood. But what if?

Magnus made sure no one was within earshot before he spoke up in a language he had not used for years. „Iksis ziry paktot?" (Is it possible?)

The silver dragon made a throaty noise, closing his eyes for a brief moment and nodded. Magnus heart nearly stopped its beat and it took him several seconds to regain his composure. "Rȳ perzys kesi sīmonagon arlī..." (Through fire we shall rise again...) he breathed, bowing his head in utter reverence. 

**Viggo's POV**

"You delivered her into the hands of our enemy, why? WHY!? NOW SHE'S AT THE MERCY OF A MADMAN, COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED!"

My yell was like a booming bark, that made everyone in the hall jump. White hot anger leaped inside of me. My dragon was gone with Drago's army - captured and I had no idea if he was still alive or not. I hated the fact that it bound me to this island. Most of my fleet had been burned by the Singetails and the few ships that remained needed time to be prepared. But the worst - the worst was that I had to find out that my sister was not simply kidnapped by Krogan - but handed over by my very own people. 

There they stood, my Hunters...my traitors...their heads lowered in shame. Nobody said a word, nobody but Eira. 

"Viggo..." she said calmly, stepping closer to me. "Krogan left them no choice, it was either handing Lilly over or everyone would have died. I heard it with my very own ears."

I narrowed my eyes at her and bellowed: "You were there and did nothing to help her?!" 

"Excuse me?!" she raised her voice now and put her hands on her hips. "It was me and my brother who saved you and your tribe's lives if I may remind you!" 

"Which was another thing you lied to me about!" I retorted, clenching my hands to fists. Raising my voice that much left my throat feeling sore and I had to support myself against a table for a moment as my head started to pound once again. Somewhere across the hall the black dragon growled lowly. The dragon riders stared at me in utter shock. It was still hard for them to take in what had happened since they left for Sapphire island.

Eira looked taken aback by my outburst and the shadow of guilt appeared in her eyes, but within a second it was gone again. "Can you blame me? After all that happened between us, I wasn't sure if I could trust you! But the truth is, I still care for you and that's why I told Robert to help you!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "And if you came to a different conclusion, what then hm...my dear? Would you have attacked us along with Drago? Stabbed me in the back?" 

"I..." Eira began but her brother stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"Viggo..." Robert spoke up and I noticed he was nervous although he tried to hide it. "...it was my father who signed an alliance with Drago Bludvist. When he sent us a call to join his meeting I had no choice but to follow his request or risk a war with him. But at that time I had no idea what kind of man Drago is or of his intentions with your sister. So when your letter reached us it was me who sent Eira to you...to see if we should support you. If you choose to be angry with someone it should be me." 

I inhaled deeply and searched Eira's gaze. She had her lips pressed tightly together and gave me a look that clearly said 'I could have just let you die'. 

"Whoa, okay I don't want to disturb your little dispute here but are you aware that Drago will return once he finds out the first attack failed? You might want to prepare for that or dig your graves right away."

I drew my gaze away from Eira and found that it was the foreign Trapper talking, standing between two of my guards and his hands shackled in front of him. What was his name again? He traveled along with Robert but I decided to take him under arrest - for securities sake. I could not take anymore risks. Robert shot the man a look that said 'shut up' but the Trapper only shrugged. "Just sayin'."

"I will not sit around and wait for Drago to return! We will sail after him and save my sister!" The rage that had subsided briefly flared in me again.

The Trapper faked a cough but I made the words out very clearly. "Suicide *cough* squad..."

I pushed myself off the table and within a second had the Trapper by his throat. "Why don't you lead us? I am certain you know exactly were your master's location is." 

"And betray Drago?" the man choked out. "Yeah - then better kill me now..." 

Oh I had a great desire to kill this man right there for his impudence - his useless, empty words; but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Viggo." there was a voice behind me but I didn't care to listen. My sister was gone, just the thought of what the madman might do to her made me feel sick. Someone had to suffer for this. I tightened my grip around the man's throat and watched with grim satisfaction how his face turned red. "Viggo!" the tug on my shoulder grew more vehement and reluctantly I turned my head to see who it was. 

Nanna stared back at me, her other hand gently grabbing my fingers around the Trappers neck and slowly I let her remove one after the other. There was something about Nanna that had me calm down within an instant. Fury made way to desperation as I stared down into the healer's gentle eyes. 

"If he harms her..." my voice was shaking as Nanna placed the palm of her hand against my cheek. 

"I know you are worried, but you are in no condition to fight Viggo. You'd only kill yourself and that wouldn't help Lilly, would it?" she said in the calm voice of hers.

"I won't stay here and do nothing!" I said and took her hand off my cheek, squeezing it gently before letting go. 

"Neither will we." 

Astrid approached me with determination written upon her face. "We need to find out where Hiccup, Stoick and Valka are as well." 

I gave a short nod in acknowledgement. The Haddocks were nowhere to be seen since the battle and I wondered what had led them to leave. Well that was something we would find out eventually. 

"Also Viggo, we really think it is important that Lilly receives this." Fishlegs stepped to Astrid's side, still holding that strange looking chest in his arms. 

"And that is?" I asked, not grasping how this could be of any importance. 

"A gift from the goddess Freya herself." Fishlegs uttered, his eyes growing wide in excitement as he opened the chest and took out a beautiful crafted necklace made of amber and gold. 

Nanna gasped in disbelief. "Is that?" 

"Yes that's Brisingamen. We also found different notes on Sapphire island, but we can't read them unfortunately..." Fishlegs sighed a bit disappointed. 

"I think I can help with that." echoed a male voice from the entrance door.


	87. Chapter 86 - Ancient Words

**3rd Person's POV**

It was Magnus striding into the hall. Dark circles under his eyes spoke from the exhaustion of battle but his blue eyes were bright - making him look wide awake and determined.

Fishlegs couldn't hold back an excited squeal as the older man reached his hands out to take the alabaster chest from him. "You can read these scripts? So you knew the guardians of dragons?"

"Maybe..." Magnus uttered, barely looking at Fishlegs as he placed the chest on the nearest table and opened it. "...in a different life."

Viggo crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Oh? You never mentioned that fact before Magnus."

"I considered it better not to, Sir." he gave his chief a guilty look over his shoulder and cleared his throat before he spoke again. "In any case, let me see if I can be of help here."

Magnus pulled out several parchment rolls, scanned them with a quick glance and put them aside before he dug into the chest once more.

"Are you not going to look at these?" Fishlegs exclaimed, looking slightly disappointed.

"No. I admit these are very informative scripts about all kinds of dragon species but I am looking for something else...if I am not mistaken there must be...." Magnus muttered absentmindedly as he emptied the chest of the scrolls. Then he stopped for a second, before revealing a small, worn looking, leather book. "There...that's more like it..." he spoke to himself in an awed tone and started to skip through the yellowed pages.

"Would you mind to enlighten us, Magnus?" Viggo said in a peeved tone. He felt betrayed. Aside from his grandfather, Magnus had always been like a second father figure to him. He supported him where his own father didn't, listened to him when Ragnar wouldn't and was his most trusted partner in crime. And now this? For all these years, Magnus knew his mother's tribe and didn't bother to tell him a single word about it? Why on earth did he keep it from him and from Lilly? It could have helped her to know this! Viggo trembled with anger and his stomach twitched painfully at it. The poison still showed its aftereffects.

However Viggo was shook from his thoughts when Magnus turned to face him, the small book still in his hands.

"Of course, forgive me Sir." he said in a calm voice, either not caring about Viggo's anger or simply ignoring it. "This is not an ordinary book. It tells the story of the father of all dragons and the woman he loved."

"Seriously? A storybook? Oh yes this is totally going to help us...'hey Drago, nice army you got there, but please let us read you a story'...maybe we can _bore_ him to death with it..." Snotlout exclaimed sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

Magnus' face reddened with annoyance. Nothing much rattled him; he took threats, trickery, even violence in his stride. However he would not allow anyone to speak in such a disrespectful manner about the legacy of the first people who ever lived among dragons. _His_ people. He was about to reprimand the ignorant teenager but the black dragon beat him by a second.

Snotlout jumped with a yelp as a small flame was fired at his feet. Hookfang growled at the black dragon but Magnus merely smiled in approval before he continued.

"If you would allow me to explain, then you would see it is more than just a storybook. Far more. Not only does it tell us the story of the first dragon but also of the words he taught the woman. Powerful, ancient words." He walked over to Viggo, holding out the book for him to see and tapped on one of the pages. "Words in dragon tongue."

"Dragon tongue?" Viggo repeated and raised his brows.

"Yes, Sir. And the thing with dragon tongue is, that every dragon is bound to listen when you address them in the ancient language."

"You mean anyone who knows these words could make a dragon do whatever he wants?" Fishlegs eyes went as wide as saucers and he clasped his hands in front of his mouth.

"Yes and no." Magnus said vaguely and lowered the book. "It was a well kept secret among the guardians of dragons, guarded by their king and his family. It was their duty to handle this knowledge with the greatest care. Because, however great it might sound, it is also a very dangerous issue to use those words."

"How can words be dangerous by any chance?" Eira asked, shaking her head slightly in suspicion.

Magnus straightened and his voice took on a lecturing tone - letting his position as a teacher shining through. "Words, lady Frigard, are the most _powerful_ force available to human kind. Every word has energy - the ability to preserve or destroy, to bring life or to bring death and words in the ancient tongue even more so. They were given to the dragons by the gods themselves and only a dragon or those descending from a dragon are able to use them and survive."

"What do you mean...survive?" Fishlegs asked, face turning white.

"Dragons are magical creatures, my boy. And so is the language they speak. It has its rules and it also has its limitations. Even someone who has dragon blood in his veins is not immune to its effects. No one should dare to use certain words before he is mentally ready to bear their consequences."

An awe-stricken silence had descended onto the hall as everyone listened to the elder man going on with his lecture.

"Every dragon has a name, a _true_ name that is more than just that. The true name of a dragon _is_ the dragon, it's his very heart and soul. If you address a dragon by his true name, you become one with him. The dragons eyes will be your eyes, his feelings will be your feelings and of course the dragons strength will be your strength. And that is where the danger lies. Not every dragon would allow you to do this without fighting back. To try it before you are strong enough might leave you weakened, unconscious for days...or in the worst case the attempt might even kill you." Magnus concluded, locking his gaze with Viggo's who had narrowed his eyes to slits and shook his head slightly.

"And what's the point in you telling us all of this now?" he snapped at his first counselor. "Why, for the sake of all the gods, did you keep this information from me? Throughout all those years! I can't believe you did this...just the mere thought about how this could have helped Lilly! By Thor if you told me that you new the Sapphire island earlier then I might have never prevented her from flying there - I would even have sent her off together with you and she would still be safe and sound instead of at the mercy of a madman!"

Viggo was practically yelling now as white hot rage leaped through his body once again. Nanna put one hand on top of his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, but it did nothing to pacify him. Magnus expression fell and he sighed deeply.

"Forgive me...I couldn't tell you...I swore an oath to keep it secret..." he mumbled crestfallen.

"An oath to whom? And why break it now?" Viggo had too many questions, it left his head spinning and the feeling that they were running out of time didn't help either. What was Drago doing to Lilly right now?

"To him..." Magnus sighed and pointed to the entrance door where the silver dragon sat patiently on his hind legs, head slightly tilted as he listened to their every word.

"A dragon? You swore an oath to a dragon?" Viggo scoffed and laughed bitterly. "I think I have heard enough." He pushed Nanna's hand off his shoulder and turned to leave the hall. He would not waste anymore time listening to this nonsense.

"No wait Sir...let me explain, there's more to it than it seems...Viggo please!" Magnus called out after him and hearing his name slip from the man's lips made Viggo stop in his tracks. Clenching his fists in anger he spun around.

"You will not address me like that, _Magnus_!" he growled. "I am still your chief and you will follow my orders! Prepare the remaining ships, I will not waste anymore time - it's my sister out there needing _my_ help and not some ominous magic words or necklaces!" he bellowed and with that stormed out of the hall to get his sword. What would he give to have Fulgur at his side right now - with him he would already be shooting through the skies...

The black dragon rushed out of the hall right behind him, following Viggo up the path to his house but Viggo didn't even notice his presence. His mind was too clouded with his one and only goal - to save his little flower and cut out Drago's heart.   
  


Martha watched Magnus slump into a chair, hiding his face in the palms of his hands. She felt sorry for the older man, he surely had his reasons for what he did. Nanna walked up to him and whispered incoherent, soothing words to Magnus that Martha couldn't make out but got distracted anyway as she suddenly felt a tug at the back of her dress followed by a faint cooing sound.

Martha was met by big green eyes as she turned around. "Hope!" she breathed and bent down to stroke the little dragons head. However the little night fury wouldn't let her. Instead she tugged harder at Martha's dress, squeaking a little louder.

"Okay, okay, calm down little one. What is it?" Martha raised her hands in a soothing manner and finally Hope let go off her dress, jumping up and down in front of the girl and head pointing to the door. Right then it hit Martha. "Oh...you want me to follow you?"

Hope purred in approval and took Martha's dress between her teeth once more. The girl laughed lightly at this. "It's alright Hope, I'm coming."

The little dragon led Martha out of the hall and down the street to the port, jumping over pieces of debris and bodies of fallen soldiers. The sight would have sickened Martha if Hope wouldn't have put her in such a rush. What was wrong with the little dragon?

"Hope...stop...not so fast..." Martha panted, barely able to keep up with the night fury. Finally the little dragon stopped. Martha put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath before she raised her head to notice they were at the shore right next to the main gangplank. "So what do you want to show...oh my gods..." Martha's heart dropped down to her knees and her neck constricted painfully as she realized what little Hope had found.

It was the mother of Hiccup - Valka if Martha remembered correctly - lying at the shore right next to Lilly's Scauldron. Her skin was terrible pale and her body limp. _Oh gods...is she?_ Martha dropped to her knees beside the woman and pressed her ear against her chest. She was cold as ice._ Come on, come on...there must be...please let there be...oh thank the gods!_

A heartbeat. Faint and barely audible but still there. Martha let out a sigh of relief. But she knew, she had to act very quickly now or else Hiccup's mother might die of hypothermia.

Martha lifted her head. There were two Hunter soldiers just a few feet away, freeing the streets of dead bodies. Martha cried out for help and waved her hands for the men to come over. When they did, she ordered them to pick Valka up and carry her back to the great hall. She must see Nanna immediately.  
  


"Well I guess it was nice knowing you, because Drago is going to kill you all." Eret mocked only to earn a punch to his stomach from one of the guards as he was dragged away to a cell. It was Magnus' command to keep him as well as Agatha there until the war was over. Then their fates would be in the hands of the chief.

"Shut up dragon trapper!" Eira snapped, although she couldn't deny that he indeed had a point. Drago's army outnumbered them by far and had suffered fewer losses than her force and the Hunters had. Why did Viggo have to be so stubborn? He was in no condition to fight and he knew that. Still he would risk not only his but all of their lives for the sake of his little sister. Eira felt jealously and anger well up in her stomach as she recalled how angry Viggo was with her for letting Lilly be taken away. Eira wondered if Viggo would make the same effort to save her if her and Lilly's place were reversed. She didn't realize that she bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood on her tongue.

Robert eyed his sister with growing worry that only deepened when he put a hand on her shoulder, causing Eira to jump. "Hey, are you okay?" Robert asked, his forehead wrinkled in concern.

Eira huffed, sending a few drops of blood into the air and down onto the floor. "This idiot is going to kill himself!"

"Viggo?" Robert blinked dumbly, causing his sister to roll her eyes at him.

"Of course Viggo, who else Robert!?" Eira chided. "And I hate to admit it, but your trapper friend might be right...Drago's forces outnumber us and facing them on the open sea will be anything but easy."

Robert let his hand run through his hair. "So are we still going to support him?"

Eira let out a dry laugh as she put both of her hands on her younger brother's shoulders, meeting his gaze. Robert noticed how her voice trembled and tears formed in her eyes. "What do you think? Viggo might be a foolish, stubborn...bullheaded idiot but the truth is...I love him...I cannot sit around and watch him fly right to his death." She tried to fight back a sob but it came out nonetheless. However, before Robert could pull her into a hug, Eira wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her dress and straightened. Robert knew she was masking her emotions, it was what she always did and his heart ached with it.

"Order our men to ready the ships. We have a battle to win." she commanded, but her voice still sounded a little more high pitched than what was normal for her.

Robert nodded and hugged his sister nevertheless, if she liked it or not. Eira remained stiff for a few seconds, but then she returned the hug, sniffing slightly. They pulled apart and Robert turned to leave when he heard Eira call after him.

"Oh and Robert!"

He turned to face her with an expectant look.

"Don't you ever fall in love - it's safer for your soul. " she muttered with a half hearted smile.

Robert chanced a glance at the blond Viking girl of Berk, who was standing next to the bulky blond boy and the man called Magnus, before he brought his gaze back to his sister. He inwardly sighed and returned her smile. "I will try my best, sis."

With that he left the hall, heading towards his ships.   
  


Viggo rushed up the stairs to his chambers, ignoring his spinning vision as best as he could. He cursed under his breath, but was determined to not let his condition stop him. Agatha and her lust for vengeance be damned. But that was a matter Viggo had to take care of later.

He quickly grabbed his fire-sword from the table, where he had left it just before he headed to the sacred grove to bring the gods their sacrifice. He snorted as his thoughts traveled back to the night before. How have the gods repaid them? Where were their blessings?

Everything seemed to be falling apart and then Magnus and his ancient words...this wasn't going to help either. No, Viggo thought as he left his room, the only thing he could truly rely on was his own intelligence and his sword - he would not put his trust in anyone or anything else.

He came past Lilly's room and stopped dead in his tracks. With a trembling hand he pushed the door open and slowly entered the room. Everything was exactly as Lilly left it behind. Viggo let his gaze wander around.

Lilly's clothes lay splattered across the floor, obviously thrown carelessly to the side when she got changed for the feast. Viggo felt something crack under his foot as he walked further into the room. He stepped aside to find a piece of kohl, now crumbled to black dust, lying on the floor. He let out a breathy sigh and a little smile tugged at his lips at the thought of how chaotic his little sister was - so unlike himself.

Viggo picked up her tunic, swirling up the scent of flowers and salty water that was so unmistakable Lilly's and he had to swallow thickly as a lump began to form in his throat. Inhaling deeply he started to fold the garment with great care and placed it on the center of the bed. Then he went on and repeated the action until each piece of Lilly's clothing lay neatly folded on her bed.

Viggo clenched his jaw at the sight of it. Soon Lilly would be lying in this bed again, soon she would be back in his arms and safe from all harm. He had to tell himself these things, there was no other option. If he only knew where Hiccup disappeared to...

A loud crack echoed through the hallway, coming from downstairs and Viggo was shook from his thoughts. He furrowed his brows in confusion but before he could think of it the loud crack came all over again. What the Hel? It sounded like someone was ripping the house apart.

Viggo didn't waste another second, he quickly grabbed Lilly's sword from her dressing table - the actual reason why he entered her room in the first place - and spurted down the stairs to confront whoever dared to invade his house.

His jaw dropped quite literally at the sight that unfolded before his eyes as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

It was the black dragon.

The dragon had made his way into the living room and was obviously having a great time taking it apart. All paintings that once decorated the walls lay scattered around the floor, but now the dragon had found a new task. One by one, he pulled out books from the shelf with his snout and threw them onto the floor. Once the bookshelf was empty, he sniffed around the floor, sticking his snout under the fur rugs and knocking the wooden chairs down with his tail in the process. It was almost as if the dragon was looking for something.

Viggo could do nothing but stare for a few moments, but then a sudden flash of anger filled him. "What by Hel do you think you're doing you crazy dragon?!" he yelled.

The dragon raised his head so quickly that he took the fur rug with him. It hung over his head and let him appear like a bizarre, giant ghost. The dragon shook his head and puffed to free himself of his unwanted head cloth, but being a dragon - the inevitable happened. The rug caught fire and Viggo yelped as it came down right in front of his feet, sending sparks onto his face - burning his skin.

Quick-witted, Viggo stomped onto the flames, killing them before they got the chance to get any bigger. Panting heavily and shaking his head, he stared up at the dragon who made a low gurgling sound, almost as if to tell him that he was sorry for the damage he just caused. It was odd to say the least.

"There is something odd about you dragon...I can't quite put my finger on it..." Viggo couldn't help the words slipping from his tongue.

As if his words were an encouragement, the dragon suddenly lunged forward and knocked Viggo over as he trampled his way down to the kitchen. Not to mention the sculptures and paintings he knocked down in the process of doing so.

Viggo huffed in annoyance as he followed the big beast. "Will you get out of my house now instantly!?"

**Hiccup's POV (set a bit earlier - at the time when Magnus held his speech)**

Fire dashed across my back. I tried to arch away from it - screamed - but was unable to get very far. My hands were stretched out above my head and I would've toppled over if it wasn't for the rope holding me up. I noticed with horror that my prosthetic was gone and not only that, all my clothes were missing too.

My mind tried frantically to come up with an explanation on how I got into this situation, but found none. Not until the dreadful sound of a taunting voice reached my ear.

"Oh I'm sorry great dragon master...did I wake you?"

Krogan stepped in front of me, a small sadistic grin plastered on his face and I opened my mouth to throw a sarcastic remark back at him, but with the gag still trapping my tongue the only sound that left me was something between a grunt and a growl as I glared up at the tall man. He merely chuckled.

"Hiccup..."

There was another voice - barely above a whisper but I instantly knew who it was. _Lilly_. I turned my head to look past Krogan and my stomach knotted as my eyes fell on her. She was chained to a wall - by her _neck, _like she was some kind of animal, while her hands were still bound behind her back The sight of it filled me with disgust and panic alike. Oh gods...we were in some kind of torture chamber and I was completely immobilized and nude, vulnerable to whatever Krogan wished to do to me. Only after I processed all this, did I notice Drago standing right next to Lilly, his eyes dark and merciless.

My chest heaved as my memory came rushing back with full force. Dad! My father...he was dead and so was my mother, thrown overboard to drown...

I couldn't help it, I sobbed helplessly into the gag.

_Dead...my parents are dead...Toothless killed my Dad...no, no it wasn't his fault...it was Drago's and only Drago's...his Bewilderbeast forced him to do it...and where was Toothless now? If they harmed him..._

I lifted my head and tried my best to give the warlord a death glare despite the tears streaming down my face. But Drago just smiled as he watched me fall apart under my grief.

I could hear Lilly sob as well and forced myself to search her gaze. It was full of fear and sorrow. "I'm so sorry Hiccup..." she whimpered. I shook my head, trying to tell her that it was not her fault...the Bewilderbeast was stronger than her...it...it wasn't her fault, right?

If only the gag would come off, then I could talk to her. But then surprisingly it was and I was left gasping for several minutes before I could form words.

"It...it's okay Lilly..." I tried my best to sound reassuring but my voice shook a little, betraying my fear.

Drago chuckled coldly at this. "Oh really? Let's see how long you'll keep this up boy. Do you know why you are here?"

"Don't know...to hang around I guess. Just didn't know you were into nudity." I tried to put as much sarcasm and disdain into those words as possible.

Drago's eyes darkened in anger while Krogan just sneered at me. I tried to keep up a defiant expression although on the inside I felt how my blood ran cold under Drago's stare.

"Quit the sass boy!" Drago growled and stepped closer to me in a menacing way. "You are here, because my little dragon refuses to break. I need to change that."

I somehow made myself laugh at this. "Sorry no, not going to help you with that." I then turned to Lilly. "Lilly, whatever they do to me doesn't matter...don't even consider giving in to him! I will be okay...everything will be okay." I hoped she believed me more than I did myself.

Lilly shook her head, her whole body was trembling in fear but Drago's dark chuckle kept her from answering me. "Oh we will see about that."

He gave a short nod to Krogan and I gulped as I noticed the whip he was holding in his hands. I guessed it was the same one that hit my back earlier. _Oh Thor...this is going to hurt_.

Krogan seemed pleased with the horrified look on my face as he let the cords of the whip run through his free hand. "Afraid boy?" he mocked.

I forced myself to meet his gaze and hoped my voice didn't give away how terrified I really was as I spoke up. "Don't hold back."

"Don't worry, I won't." Krogan laughed devilishly and took one step forward. My skin crawled under his gaze and I couldn't help shivering a little in anticipation. _Soon...the blow will come soon...it will come...NOW_

I gave a startled cry as the whip hit me right across my chest, leaving red marks all over my abdomen. My chest heaved as I tried to breathe through the pain but I got no chance to do so as the pain came all over again. The next blow struck lower and I shrieked as the cords slashed across my thighs and one cord hit me right between my legs.

I couldn't help the tears that sprang free as the pain became unbearable. Being hit there was pure agony. Another blow, across my stomach left me sobbing and jolting but Krogan was far from done.

He circled me while he lashed the whip onto my body, trying to inflict as much pain as possible. I found myself tugging at the rope as I cried out, wishing I could magically free myself.

There was Lilly's voice in the background, pleading and sobbing for Krogan to stop. I managed to lift my head and meet her teary gaze. Drago was holding her firmly by the chain around her neck, forcing her to keep her head up and watch. I hated him like I never hated anyone else before.

"Care for some more?" Krogan sneered.

"Y-yeah...don't th-think t-that was n-nearly enough..." I breathed, determined not to give Lilly a reason to give in.

Krogan raised the whip again.

_"Oh gods_!"

I didn't mean to scream out loud but the stroke hit my lower body again and I didn't know how I found the air to breathe. Then the pain came across my back and I trashed and shouted. Krogan didn't stop this time. He just kept going until I was hit at least ten times, leaving my back in a bloody mess. Finally it stopped and I sagged in my restraints, heaving in shaky breaths and sobbing uncontrollably. Every movement only seemed to cause more pain and I was never so thankful to have my hands bound above my head, otherwise I would surely have collapsed onto the floor. I felt consciousness slipping away from me when I heard Krogan speak up again.

"Maybe we should try something else." Krogan mused as he put the whip back down on the table.

"No! No _stop_ it! Please don't do this...I will do whatever you say..." Lilly pleaded in despair, her eyes were red and swollen from her tears.

_No Lilly, don't...don't give in...I can take more._ I tried to will my lips to move but found myself unable to voice those words. All I managed to get out was a strangled sob.

"You will be mine." I heard Drago rumble darkly.

A sob from Lilly but then...

"Yes." she whimpered and before I could process what was happening, Lilly was dragged out of the room by Drago, leaving me alone with Krogan.

"No!" I croaked out, tugging fruitlessly at the rope. "No...Lilly..."

"She's not yours anymore." Krogan chuckled and I hissed when he grabbed me by my hair, forcing my head up to look at him. "Tell me boy, do you miss your parents?"


	88. Chapter 87 - You are mine now

**3rd Person POV**

Above deck Toothless cowered in his cage. He shook his head as the daze began to draw away, but kept it lowered. Something wasn't right. In fact something was terribly wrong. Toothless couldn't point it out though, but he knew it was bad...very bad. And it had something to do with him. His insides felt dull and empty and he felt his heart ache painfully as he came back to himself. What was that feeling? It was something Toothless had never felt before. There were men laughing around him and the echo of a deep, rumbling voice brushed his conscious mind like an icy breeze. His eyes widened as it suddenly hit him. He knew now what this feeling was!

Guilt.

The guilt sat not on his chest but inside his brain. What he had done, he could not undo.  
He killed Stoick...the father of his best friend...the chief of Berk. What made it even more unbearable was, that Toothless knew if Stoick hadn't jumped in between, he would have killed Hiccup. He was a _murderer_.

Toothless whimpered, squeezed his eyes tightly shut as another wave of guilt almost crushed him with its intensity. He shouldn't have listened to the Bewilderbeast...he should have fought more, tried to resist its influence...he should've shaken it off...but he was weak.

Weak.

A weakling.

Not worth to be called a Night Fury.

And who knew where Hiccup was now? He was trapped in a cage, muzzled and unable to protect him. It was all his fault. Toothless hid his head between his claws and wailed pitifully.

That was until a painful scream split the air. Toothless' ears perked up and in the next second he jumped to his feet. He would recognize this voice under a million. This was Hiccup. _His _Hiccup. And he was in pain.

Toothless tried to fight the muzzle off to no avail, tried to reach his mind out for Lilly but she seemed to engulfed in dread to even notice his attempts. Blind rage filled him as Hiccup screamed again - louder. He needed to help his best friend. Toothless started to bump his head against the walls of the cage. When this wasn't working either, he started to roll around on the ground in his tantrum, his wings and feet lashing out forcefully. If he just could escape this cage! Then...then he would go after this Drago guy and blast him to pieces. Then he would save Hiccup and Lilly.

_"Stop your pathetic efforts!" _

The voice of the Bewilderbeast rumbled in his head and Toothless grew slightly dizzy as it tried to take control of his mind once more.

_"Never! Leave me alone!"_ he shouted in savage rage, trying to fight it off. He would not give into that evil dragon again. He would be strong...he had to be for Hiccup. Because his best friend needed him, because he was in pain. No one was allowed to hurt Hiccup.

**Hiccup's POV**

My eyes grew watery from Krogan's tight grip on my hair as he looked down at me with a gloating look. Not caring about the consequences, I did the worst thing I could come up with. I spit him right into his face. Krogan let go off my hair with a growl and wiped saliva from his cheek. I noticed with satisfaction how he looked taken aback by my boldness. But my little triumph only lasted a second. Krogan moved fast, his fist connecting with my jaw in a hard blow.

The stroke left me feel dizzy and I stumbled slightly, spitting up blood. I raised my head and made myself glare at the dark man.

"I was going to make your death quick, boy." Krogan rumbled, his voice dangerously low and smooth. "But you're practically begging me to take my time. Well have it your way, I shall not hold back."

I watched anxiously as Krogan walked back to the table and picked something up. My stomach twisted, mind instantly racing with all the possibilities of what was about to happen to Lilly now. Not that I was in any better situation. My back throbbed and I could feel my own blood trickling down my thighs. I tried frantically to come up with something to get out of this situation...before Krogan killed me. _Come on Hiccup, you need an idea...in the next second would be preferable. Oh Thor, if I only could reach Toothless. _

I shifted uncomfortably on my one foot, straining my ears for any sound of Lilly or Toothless and so it took me a moment to realize that Krogan was towering over me again. I couldn't help it, my eyes instantly flitted to Krogan's hands in dreadful curiosity of what he was going to use on me. He held a knife with a sharp looking, bent blade. One that I knew was also used for skinning. I swallowed hard and my breath hitched as Krogan lifted the blade with a smirk. _Oh gods... I have to do something...maybe keep him talking..._

"Wh-where's Lilly?" I tried not to stammer, but it was hard not to. Pain and fear left my heart racing.

"That's none of your concern. She belongs to Drago now." Krogan simply said and I couldn't hold back a frightened whimper when he brought the cold blade to my chest, resting right above a bleeding slash of the whip. He was not cutting yet, but he would. I knew he would.

"It is. She...she's m-my fiancée...wh-what does Dr-Drago need her for any-anyway.._.Argh...go-ods_!"

Krogan dug the blade down into my already open cut, causing a new wave of agony to wash over me. I tried to move away from its stinging touch, but Krogan grabbed my shoulder in a bruising grip to keep me in place. His eyes were almost glowing in the twilight of the chamber. There was nothing I could do to prevent this. Being cut into like this burned beyond belief and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus around the pain but found myself unable to. Then Krogan was talking again and his words were like a punch into my stomach.

"Your fiancée, huh? Well there is no use in marrying a dead man." he chuckled darkly, drawing the blade away. Drips of blood trickled from its tip onto the floor. My whole body was covered in cold sweat that left me freezing and although I tried, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. Krogan studied his handiwork with a smug expression and just continued talking as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Drago is going to rule the world, boy. He is in need of a consort. And who would be more suiting than the dragon girl to bear the offspring of the dragon god, hm?"

Terror stabbed me in the stomach. _No...gods no. _

"Sick bastard!" I cried out, starting to struggle furiously against the rope as white-hot anger filled my body.

Krogan only smiled and I was bound to scream when the blade dug into my flesh all over again.

**3rd Person's POV**

"Will you let him go now?" Lilly asked in pleading despair as Drago dragged her along. The shackle around her neck hurt. But not knowing what was happening to Hiccup was worse than anything that could possibly happen to her. Lilly's heart was beating rapidly and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. But she had to stop this, right? There was no other option. She _had to_ give herself up to Drago. It was the only way to make him stop Krogan from torturing Hiccup. It was something she could hardly stand. The sound of his screams...his blood...Hiccup didn't deserve to be hurt like that because of her.

Drago only chuckled and stopped just as he reached the stairs leading back up onto deck. "He's free to take the same path as his pathetic mother."

Lilly felt like she couldn't breathe. "No! No...y-you said you would let him go if I give in..."

"No. All I said was that I'll use the boy to make you break. And you did. So you will be mine now."

The world was swaying around Lilly. She couldn't believe this was true...but Drago was right, he never said he would let Hiccup go. Her vision grew blurry and she staggered then fell only for Drago to grab her by her arm to keep her standing. Everything seemed surreal.

Then there was a scream.

It tore through Lilly like a great shard of glass. She felt her eyes widen and pulse quicken, her heart thudding like a rock rattling in a box. The scream came again, painful, excruciating...Hiccup.

"No...NO!"

Lilly somehow found the strength to wriggle herself out of Drago's grasp and took a full out sprint down the hall. She, however, didn't get very far. There was a sharp tug on the chain and for a moment all air left her lungs as Drago yanked her backwards with an angry growl. She landed flat on her back, a painful whimper escaping her lips as her bound hands almost got crushed under her own bodyweight.

Drago growled under his breath as he walked up to her. "Enough. I will not have any more of this." he spoke darkly, forcing Lilly back up by the chain. Before she knew what was happening, Drago had her over his shoulder again. She felt trapped. What could she do? Hiccup would die and it was all because of her.

"MONSTER! LET ME GO YOU...YOU EVIL PIECE OF DRAGON DUNG!" Lilly shouted, beside herself with anger and fear.

Drago's face reddened with annoyance. He tightened his grip on the struggling and kicking girl as he dragged her upwards onto deck. It was about time to put her into her place. He should have done this the very first day Johann brought her to him. Then all of Grimborn's ridiculous attempts to keep the girl away from him would have been in vain. But that was in the past now. He wanted this girl as his general in combat, not only that but as his consort and there was no one to stop him from taking what was rightfully his.

"Prepare the brand." he ordered one of his men as he dropped Lilly down onto the wooden planks. She gasped in terror at this and tried to worm away as far as her bound hands allowed her to, but Drago would have none of that. "Hold her down." he growled.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Lilly screamed and panted, her lips curling back and nostrils flaring like a dragon as Drago's men grabbed her by her shoulders and legs, forcing her to lie flat on the ground. Her panicked cries seemed to alert the surrounding dragons in their cages and even the armed ones that stood around free seemed unsettled by her shouts. They responded with low growls, shaking their heads and the surrounding men looked around anxiously, fearing that the dragons might start to rebel.

Watching Lilly writhe and struggle sent a thrill through Drago. Yes, this was what he had been waiting for. The dragons responded to her far better than he had ever seen with anyone else. With her he wouldn't even have to summon his Alpha to bring the beasts under control. He hummed in satisfaction before he drew a dagger from his belt. With a swift motion he cut through the straps of her dress, baring her chest to him and his crew.

Lilly heaved out panicked pants, her cheeks heated in fear and mortification as she felt the men's stares on her bare skin. She knew what was about to happen to her and increased her struggles in a vain attempt to free herself. Tears were flowing freely now and strangled, growling noises left her throat.

Drago's eyes swept over her, taking in every inch of her lithe form that he hadn't earlier. Her braid had become undone and the way she moved made her look marvelously feral and dragon-like. There was no denying. This truly _was _the girl he heard of so many years ago. A dragon incarnate. And she would be his to control. Drago almost laughed out loud, his triumph over the old fool of a king made him feel _good_.

"Here Sir." The man he sent off before handed Drago a glowing rod. He grunted in acknowledgment and bent down in front of Lilly. Her eyes widened and she tried one last time to get away. "Sh, little dragon...there's no use in fighting. Accept the gift I'm going to bestow upon you. You're mine, it's your destiny." Drago found himself talking surprisingly calm.

The hands on Lilly's shoulders grew tighter. "No! Please...PLEASE!" she cried but it was too late. The searing hot rod was pressed to the left side of her chest.

It burned!

The smell of cooking flesh filled the air and Lilly's nose - making her want to be sick. Her back arched and she screamed, her voice echoing over the ship like the howl of a dragon. She screamed like she never screamed before. Not only out of pain but out of utter despair and hopelessness. Nothing. She was made into _nothing_! Nothing but Drago's property.

It was over within seconds and Lilly was left shuddering and gasping. Drago's...she was Drago's now. She felt like she couldn't breathe, felt like she would freeze to death and being burnt alive at the very same time as the grips on her body loosened. The dragons all around were howling and growling in response to her cry, but Lilly hardly noticed it. She was in shock.

Drago ducked the rod into a bucket of water and narrowed his eyes at the dragon's uproar. He stomped his foot on the ground, roaring loudly. And just like that the chaos ended, the dragons becoming submissive once more just by one yell of the warlord. They knew very well that only torture awaited those who refused to follow his command. The warlord smiled to himself, turning back to Lilly. Aside from her quickened breathing, the girl was not moving. She was probably in a state of shock. Well that was something he could use. There were many ways to tame dragons and perhaps this was the right moment to give his little dragon a proper taste of her future...and sate his own desires while at it. It's been a very long while since the last time he enjoyed a warm body. It was not something that the warlord would allow himself to frequently indulge, but then again...this was not an ordinary girl.

Lilly didn't think much of it when Drago towered over her once more. Not at first. Then his hand was touching her burned flesh and she sobbed at the pain it brought her. Pain soon turned to terror when his hand traveled lower, gliding over her bare breast where it lingered for a moment before he squeezed it painfully. A frightened gasp escaped her lips, but she had no strength to move away from his grasp. Drago's eyes seemed almost black as she met his gaze. "_Don't..._" she whimpered, tears streaming down her face without her consent. Drago's lips turned upwards into a twisted grin.

His triumphant mood didn't last long though. The sound of a horn split the air just as Drago was about to pick Lilly up and take her down to his quarters. Drago frowned and stood with a displeased growl. Who was disturbing him now? It soon became clear as one of his men ran up to him.

"Sir! These are our ships! Our troops were defeated!"

Hot anger filled Drago. "Grimborn..." he growled under his breath, then raised his voice. "Ready all ships! We are going back to Hunter island! And go, get Krogan for me!"

The man bowed a little and ran off to do as Drago told him. The warlord raised his head towards the sky. It seemed that he had to take things in his own hand, like usual. And he would. Lilly let out a strangled sob and Drago turned back to her with an evil grin. He would have to wait to enjoy his little dragon, but it didn't matter. For now he had other plans for her.

\---------------

"Stop!" Viggo yelled as he hunted the black dragon down his house. The beast however didn't bother to listen. He didn't stop in the kitchen to invade their food stock like Viggo would have assumed him to - no in fact the dragon forced his way through the small back door that led to the back yard and started to sniff around the vegetable patch with great determination.

Viggo had to support himself against the wall as soon as he stormed out of the house. His vision swayed and he felt sick. He gulped down a great amount of saliva that formed in his mouth and hoped that he wouldn't have to throw up again. Fighting would definitely be a challenge in his state. But he didn't have a choice, did he?

He tried to calm his breathing and after a few seconds brought his attention back to the blind dragon who was now busying himself in digging up the ground a few feet away from him. Viggo gave a snort. "Crazy dragon..." he muttered and decided to leave. Let this dragon dig around the earthwork if it pleases him. He had more important things to think about now. Shaking his head slightly, Viggo turned to leave when he heard the dragon growl threateningly behind his back - his shadow towering over Viggo's form.

Viggo raised his head to find the dragon staring down at him with his blind eyes. It took Viggo a few more moments to realize the dragon was holding something in his snout. Something half rotten and dirty - hard to make out, yet Viggo instantly recognized what it was.

"How on Odin's earth..." he gasped, eyes growing wide in disbelief.

The dragon lowered his head and gave a quiet purr as he dropped the object in front of Viggo's feet. It was a doll.

Not any doll. It was Lilly's rag doll - the one their mother made for her before she was even born. The doll which Lilly loved with all of her heart but that got lost one day and they couldn't find it no matter how hard they tried. Viggo always suspected his brother had taken the doll from Lilly and destroyed it out of pure malicious joy. How strange it appeared to him that this dragon found it so quickly now after all the years that he couldn't.

His heart pounded loud in his ears as he bent down and picked the doll up. Then his eyes turned back to the dragon. "Who by Hel are you...?" he breathed.

The dragon tilted his head and made a rumbling sound that came deep from his throat, but before Viggo could make sense of it, he was shook from his thoughts by a yelling Martha.

"Chief Grimborn!" she shouted, her face flushed red as she spurted up to him and the dragon.

"What is it Martha?" Viggo quickly asked, Martha seemed so upset that he feared the worst. Had Drago returned already? Did something happen to Lilly?

The poor girl had to catch her breath before she managed to speak properly. "Gr-great Hall...you must come...it's Hiccup's mother..."

Viggo's eyes grew wide and he let the doll drop to the ground, taking ahold of Martha's shoulders. "Valka is back? Has she seen Lilly?" he urged her to speak on.

"N-no...we don't know...she's hardly alive." Martha stammered between her gasps for air.

Viggo didn't need to hear anymore. He stormed back to the hall without paying the dragon or Martha another glance. 


	89. Chapter 88 - Prelude to Battle

**Viggo's POV**

I entered the Great Hall in a rush, almost tripping over the little Night Fury who had settled herself in front of the door. In the center of the hall Nanna crouched in front of the hearth, circled by Eira and the gang of dragon riders. At her feet lay a form covered in a bundle of blankets and furs. It was obvious that this must be Valka. "My gods..." I gasped out, rather breathless from running. She was as pale as death itself, but her body was shuddering as if wanting to prove it was still alive.

Within a heartbeat I dropped to my knees and shook Valka by her shoulder. I needed to get information out of her. In this moment I didn't care if she could hear me or not - I had to try it.

"Valka you need to tell me what happened! Wake up!" my voice sounded strained. Valka did not move, so I shook her again and with more vehemence as I felt my frustration grow.

Nanna, however, stopped me by grabbing my arm and shot me a stern look. "She's in no condition to answer Viggo. Can't you see? Only the gods know if she'll even survive. It might take days before she will wake up again."

I let out a frustrated groan but nodded anyway. Nanna was right, as usual. Scrambling back to my feet, I let my gaze wander around the Berkian youths. The twins stared down at Valka with an anxious expression and for once even the two of them seemed to be at a loss for words. Fishlegs looked the worst. The little colour that remained in his face upon their arrival had drained completely from it. He chewed at his fingers and whispered incoherently to himself. It sounded like he was sending prayers to the gods. Snotlout tried to stay as indifferent as possible but even he couldn't hide his feelings. I noticed how his nostrils flared and his eyes grew watery, though the boy tried to cover that fact by rubbing his eyes. Astrid seemed to be more composed than her friends although her face was white as snow, lips pressed tightly together and she clenched her fists open and closed. Then her eyes met mine and it was like we shared an unspoken thought.

"Something really bad has happened...I can feel it. We can't sit around here any longer. Hiccup and Stoick...they need us." Astrid's voice shook slightly as she held my gaze. "And Lilly too of course." she quickly added. I gave a curt nod.

"I agree. But as Drago's armada outnumbers us by far, we will need a better plan than to ride blindly into battle. Give me a moment to think of it. Now get outside and prepare your dragons as well as your minds for battle. Astrid, Snotlout you might want Nanna to check your wounds first."

"No we cannot wait, we need to go now!" Astrid said urgently, looking around at her friends and they all nodded in unison.

"Hang on, you can't just fly off like that. Viggo is right, Drago has a whole dragon army behind his back. I have seen them - you would be dead before you even reach the first ship of his fleet." Eira said, earning a glare from Astrid.

"Oh I didn't know it was any of your business!" Astrid snapped and crossed her arms. "If it wasn't for your brother keeping us then we would have arrived way sooner and perhaps Hiccup and our chief wouldn't have been captured!"

"Do you have a problem with my brother?!" Eira asked hotly, stepping closer to Astrid.

"Perhaps I do." Astrid answered equally angry. She and Eira stood so close that their noses almost touched and looked as though they would quite like to hit each other, but I interrupted them.

"Stop it you two. Astrid, if you don't want Nanna to tend to your wounds that's fine for me although it might weaken you in battle. However none of you will leave this island without my permission." 

Now Astrid turned to me, her face red with anger. "Why should we even listen to you?"

"Because, my dear, I am still the chief on this island although there are some people who tend to _forget_ that fact." I narrowed my eyes at Eira and watched her gulp down her anger. I knew she did help my tribe in the end but still...she lied to me over and over again. How can she be trusted?

"You are not our chief! That's Stoick!" Snotlout exclaimed with a mulish expression.

"That he is indeed and if you want to keep it that way - you will listen to me. We have neither the time nor the forces to take foolish actions."

"How is saving our chief foolish?" Tuffnut asked. He and his sister looked as though they couldn't care less if they risked their own lives or not. Fishlegs was still ashen-faced and silent. 

"You won't be able to save anyone when your bodies rot on the ocean floor." Eira huffed in annoyance, then with a softer expression she sauntered over to me. "I am with you, Viggo. Robert is preparing our ships at this very moment. We will be ready for whatever you have planned."

I let out a deep breath. Her words sounded sincere but I still couldn't bring myself to fully believe her. "How can I trust you, hm?" I lowered my voice to her. "You let Krogan take Lilly without batting an eye."

"I had _no choice_." Eira said through gritted teeth. "Believe me or not. But when we face Drago I shall fight on your side, Viggo. This will be how we win...or how we die."

"I will never forgive you if any harm came to Lilly." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Something that was very uncommon for me but in fact...everything was different when it came to my little sister. 

"Yes, I know." Eira scoffed, but I could swear her eyes teared up. "I've come to realize that there is only room for two persons in your heart Viggo and that is yourself and your _precious_ little sister. Everyone else is just another game piece to you...expandable at best, is this not true Viggo?"

Her words were like a slap to my face. "Eira..." I began but she raised her hand to stop me. 

"No...please save you words." she said and I noticed how her voice cracked slightly. Eira took a deep breath and turned on her heels. "If you would excuse me now, I've got quite the wrong outfit for a fight. I will see you on the battlefield Viggo."

And with that she hurried out of the hall without paying me another glance. I let out a deep sigh and covered my eyes with the palm of my hand. What have I gotten myself into? It was only when Astrid's voice reached my ears that I came back from my thoughts. 

"So what is your plan Viggo?" 

She, Snotlout and the twins still looked mutinous. Fishlegs, however, took a few steps over to the nearest table and let himself drop onto the bench in front of it. When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly calm. "Excuse me Viggo, but I really think you should take a minute and hear Magnus out. I believe this book is meant to help us...I mean Freya herself wanted us to find it..." 

I let out an annoyed grunt but instead of answering, I walked over to Nanna and picked my sword as well as Lilly's back up. Then I turned to face the blonde boy.

"I have heard enough of this. Now if you would please to follow me...I shall show you something. We might not have as many dragons as Drago, but we are not defenseless yet."

**3rd Person POV (about 1 hour later)  
**

Tuffnut stood at the edge of the main gangplank open-mouthed. All around him Hunter soldiers were loading different barrels, bags and strange looking bellows onto the remaining ships. 

"And we're really going to use all that?" he asked Viggo who stood right next to him and the others. 

The older man's lips curled into a barely visible smirk. "Indeed we will."

"Awesome. It's time for Drago to smell some Zipper gas and earn himself a bloody fist!"

Viggo chuckled. "Easy boy, we cannot feel victorious yet. You all remember your part?" 

"Of course we do." Astrid answered in a voice of determined calm. Viggo hummed in approval. Soon Lilly would be back at home and Drago hopefully rotting on the bottom of the sea. 

"Good. Now..." Viggo was suddenly interrupted by the sound of horns blowing. He turned his head towards the nearest watchtower and noticed Magnus running over to where he and the dragon riders stood. "Magnus, what's going on?"

"Enemy ships, Sir. They'll reach us within the next hour."

The hunters who had stopped to listen looked at Viggo uneasily, but no one dared to speak. Too fresh was the memory of the last attack - too fresh was also the memory of their chiefs fury. Most of the men regretted handing the Grimborn girl over and so they remained silent out of guilt. Others simply out of fear. It was either testing their fate with Drago's forces our sealing their fate by turning against their chief. 

"So Drago must have figured out that his star puppet failed." Viggo mused, then ordered his men to mobilize the armada and move out to meet Drago's fleet halfway. "Ready the ships! I will not allow Drago or any of his minions to set another foot on my island!"

Then it was time to set the dragons in motion. Viggo gave Astrid and her friends a curt nod and the gang hurried back to their dragons, who waited patiently at the backside of the port along with Martha and the two foreign dragons. Viggo followed them. 

Astrid could see from the way he moved that the aftereffects of being poisoned were still troubling him, yet he uttered not a single word of complaint. She had agreed that Viggo could fly with her and Stormfly until he finds Fulgur but now that she realized his condition, she wasn't so sure if it was a wise idea. Viggo would probably be safer sailing with one of the ships. While she was still wondering if she should let him know of her concerns, Magnus caught up with Viggo. 

"Sir, a word, please." he uttered rather urgently. 

"What now Magnus?" Viggo said impatiently and didn't even bother to stop and turn his attention to his second in command. Magnus, however, was relentless. He understood Viggo's anger and it pained him. It was never his intention to hurt him in any way. Gods he probably cared more for Viggo than his own father ever did. But he had sworn an oath a long time ago and Magnus, to honorable of a man, was never even considering to break it. 

"If you would listen for a moment...this book...there is a word that will help you. I can tell you the true name of..." Magnus didn't get to finish as Viggo interrupted him with an angry growl.

"Haven't I made myself clear, Magnus?! I am in no need of any strange names or ominous words! I will win this battle like all battles before - by using this." Viggo pointed to his head and now Magnus felt his own patience crumbling away. He just wanted to help, why couldn't his chief see that! And so when Viggo turned his back on him and walked away Magnus finally lost control over his tongue.

"Stubborn fool! Just like your father!" he shouted angrily.

Viggo froze in his movements, but didn't turn back around as Magnus expected him too. No, instead of chastising him, Viggo spoke in a calm voice. His words were directed more to himself than to anyone else. "So, now you have proof. I _am_ my father after all." 

Viggo said nothing more as he crossed the gangplank to join the dragon riders and Magnus' shoulders sagged down. "Freya be with us...ȳdra daor henujagon aōha riñar." (don't forsake your children) he whispered to the wind.   
  
  
  


Astrid let her hand run over Stormfly's smooth scales when Viggo finally reached them. His features looked even darker than they had before and she couldn't help but wonder what his conversation with Magnus had been about. But now was not the time to worry about that. Astrid felt Viggo's eyes on her and she gave him a short nod - a silent confirmation that she was ready. But still...

"What if we come too late, Viggo?" she couldn't stop the words slipping from her tongue. "What if they are...?"

"No!" Viggo exclaimed and Astrid fell silent as she watched him turn to the riders and the surrounding people of his tribe - on the ships as well as around the port.

"Dragon riders, my fellow Hunters...I know last night was like a nightmare to all of us! Many died, many of us have lost a loved one or a friend. Terrible mistakes have been made..." There was a shuffling of feet and guilty glances on the side of the Hunter soldiers. "...as well as live-saving decisions." His gaze briefly met Eira's who stood on deck of her brother's flagship. 

"But as my dear grandfather used to say...to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun. There is a time to be born and there is a time to die. There is a time to love and there is a time to hate. There is a time of war and there is a time of peace. Now this is the time of war! Now is the time to hate! And we will not rest until our loved ones are back in our middle and the blood of our lost ones is avenged!"

There was a loud uproar of cheers from the crowd and Astrid found herself struck by the intensity of Viggo's speech. In this very moment he looked more chiefly than he ever did before and so very..._human_.

As soon as Viggo finished his speech he shook under a coughing fit. He shouldn't have strained his voice that much but what kind of chief would he be to send his people into battle without encouragement. There was a gentle touch on his shoulder and Viggo turned around to find Martha. 

"You spoke very well." she said timidly and shifted from one foot to the other. 

Viggo had to inhale several times before he could speak again without coughing and so he just gave a thankful nod. But that was not the only cause why Martha came to him. She bit her lip before she found the courage to speak up again. "I was wondering...I really want to help, chief Grimborn. I want to fight...please let me come with you...I can sail with the men." 

Now Viggo found his voice again. "Oh, dear Martha, you have no idea what you are requesting." 

"I do!" she insisted. 

"No you don't. What do you know of warfare, Martha? I will not be responsible for your death." Viggo said sternly. 

"But I want to help!"

"You stay, Martha! And that is my last word!" Viggo was getting angry now, he had enough to think about already. He couldn't save Lilly and have an eye on Martha at the same time. Martha gulped down her disappointment and within the blink of an eye she ran away, her eyes filled with tears of anger. 

Viggo sighed as he made his way over to Stormfly and readied himself to climb up onto her saddle when Astrid's voice drew to his ear from behind.

"Uhm...Viggo are you sure it is a good idea that you ride with me? I mean, Stormfly will be much slower when she has to carry two persons." she said. Viggo rolled his eyes and scoffed, but turned away from Stormfly anyway.

"Come now Astrid, you cannot suggest that I fly with one of your other friends, can you?" Viggo gestured towards the other riders with raised eyebrows and Astrid didn't know how to reply. 

He had a point. Viggo flying with the twins would be... well she'd rather not think about it. Hookfang could easily carry two people, but Viggo and Snotlout on one dragon was probably not the best idea either. Meatlug was too slow for Viggo's taste. So it seemed that Stormfly was the only option...or was she?

Suddenly it hit Astrid. "You could ride him." she quickly said and gestured towards the black dragon who stood a few feet away and tilted his head. 

Viggo made a strange sound - something between a snort and a laugh - and shook his head rather vehemently. 

"Oh don't be ridiculous my dear. Just look at this dragon...he's _blind_. He would probably miss Drago's ship if it was right in front of him." he huffed. _And there is no way I am getting on the back of that crazy beast._ Viggo kept his last thoughts to himself.

Astrid narrowed her eyes at Viggo. It angered her to hear him speak in such a disrespectful way of a dragon...not to speak of the fact the she had a first hand experience of the flying skills of said dragon. There was nothing wrong with him. 

A loud growl echoed over the port. It seemed Astrid wasn't the only one who was furious at Viggo. The black dragon had his teeth bared and spread his wings wide. Astrid could hear Viggo inhale sharply and then everything went very fast. 

There was the sound of flapping wings as the dragon took off and then there was a scream of shock as the dragon grabbed Viggo by his shoulders and lifted him high up into the air. 

Up and up they went until Viggo was nothing but a small, thrashing spot somewhere high above them. 

"Uhm...was this our sign to take off?" Tuffnut asked, shielding his eyes from the sunlight as he stared after the black dragon. 

Astrid punched her fist into the palm of her other hand before she jumped onto Stormfly's back. "Let's do this!"  
  
  
  


Drago stood at the prow of his flagship, his dragon skin coat wrapped around him to ward off the cold wind. The sight that unfolded before him was utterly unsatisfying. He narrowed his eyes.

There was the sound of footsteps behind him and Drago turned to see Krogan walking up to him, wiping a bloody dagger into the folds of his cloak. 

"What do you see there, Krogan?" Drago asked, his voice low and threatening. 

Krogan looked out over his shoulder at Hunter island and his face fell. There was an armada of ships...Hunter ships but also Solsteinn ships. Robert had betrayed them and changed sides to Grimborn. There were horns blowing from the island to warn of their approach. Krogan cursed under his breath.

"I see traitors, Sir." he growled. 

Drago grunted in approval. "And what is our answer to betrayal?"

"There's only one...death." Krogan said, his lips turning upwards into a smirk. It faded instantly though when Drago grabbed him by the shoulder. 

"Do not disappoint me a second time, Krogan." 

"I won't." Krogan gulped although his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Drago nodded him off and Krogan cried out for his remaining Flyers to take off into the air. He was determined to win for his master. 

Drago heard the beating of wings and it sounded like music to him. Soon he would have even more dragon in his possession. Soon Grimborn and all his foolish little friends would be nothing but dust in the wind. 

With a small grin, he walked over to the front mast to see how his little dragon was doing. He made sure that she got a front row seat to see her brother and her friends die. 

Lilly knelt in front of the mast. Drago had attached the chain of her neck cuff to the mast and chained both of her hands to a little pole on each side of her. The floor was hard and the cold wind stung on her bare and burned skin. The metal cuff around her neck was heavy and she could feel her skin getting sore beneath it, she would not be surprised if it started bleeding as well. She let out a small whimper but kept her head lowered when she noticed heavy footsteps approaching.

"We're almost back at your former home little dragon. I've noticed your friends still have dragons. Do you think they will like my Bewilderbeast?"

It nearly cost Lilly all her remaining strength to lift her head. Her eyes were blank but her heart hammered hard in fear and despair. She didn't know how she found the voice to speak. "_Please_...you have me..." If Lilly would have still been in the right mind to care, she would have been shocked at how raspy and broken her own voice sounded. "I...I'm yours...leave them alone...please..."

Drago knelt down in front of her with that evil smirk of his. "Yes, you are mine." He let his thick fingers graze over the fresh brand that proved this very fact and Lilly shuddered at the unwanted touch, then shuddered out of pure terror and dread. "And I want your brother to realize that...before I kill him."  
  
  
  
  


Martha watched the dragon riders take off with tears in her eyes. It was so unfair. She was not weak! Why couldn't chief Grimborn see that? She just wanted to help. 

There was a faint purr at her feet. Martha sniffed and looked down to find little Hope. She smiled and petted the little dragons head. "No one cared to take you with them too, hm little one? I guess we have to stay here then. If you were just a little bigger Hope, you would let me fly on your back, wouldn't you?" 

Hope warbled and pressed her head into Martha's palm. The girl smiled at that. "But for now there is no chance for us." she sighed.

"That is not necessarily true." 

Martha jumped a little and spun around to face Magnus. "Oh my gods!" she shrieked. 

It was not only Magnus standing only a few feet away, but also the large silver dragon. Martha's heart sped up its beat as she felt the giant beasts blind eyes on her. 

"It's alright." Magnus said in the calm voice of his. "Come here." 

"You mean...I...on him?" Martha stuttered in utter disbelief. 

Magnus nodded and reached his hand out to her but Martha was too shocked to move. The silver dragon made a low purring sound that rumbled deep from his chest and he lowered his neck onto the ground as if to show her it was okay to climb up. 

Gathering up all her courage, Martha took Magnus' hand and took a step closer to the dragon. Magnus placed her hand onto the dragon's scales and Martha breathed a small "Wow." at the feeling of how smooth the were. 

"I...I don't understand." she shook her head and searched Magnus' eyes for answers. 

The older man chuckled. "I overheard your conversation with chief Grimborn. And there is something I want you to do for me. You need to fly after him and bring him a message."

"But why don't you do it yourself?" Martha was even more confused now. Magnus was chief Grimborn's second in command and most trusted counselor so why would he choose her by any means?

Magnus' pinched at the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I fear our chief is not too pleased with me at the moment. But to you, he would listen. So will you do it?"

Martha nodded. 

"Good so when you see Viggo, tell him this..." Magnus leaned in to whisper in Martha's ear. "The true name he is looking for is..._Pryjatan." (Lightning)_

"Pryjatan? What does that mean?"

"I can't tell you, but you shall see soon enough. Now go, time is running out." Magnus urged Martha to move and helped her onto the silver dragons back.

It felt strange to sit on such a big animal and Martha's stomach did a flip as the dragon stood back up and spread his wings. 

"Oh my gods..." she breathed, eyes wide in realization of what was about to happen now. "I can do this...I can do this..." she kept telling herself. 

The silver dragon looked over his shoulder and purred in encouragement and Martha was sure her eyes were playing tricks on her...or did that dragon just wink?

She didn't have much time to think about it because in the next second the dragon took off and Martha let out a scream as she clung to his neck. Martha could hear Magnus laughing from below but she didn't dare to look down. 

Martha kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she tried to calm her breathing. But then there was a happy warbling sound coming from her right side and Martha dared to open one eye. She was met by big, green eyes. Hope was flying circles around the silver dragon as he made his way towards the two armadas who would soon meet on the open sea. 

That and the fact that the silver dragon was flying very carefully, as if he wanted Martha to get comfortable, finally gave her the courage to open both eyes and straighten. She let her eyes wander back down to Hunter island. Everything seemed so small from up here_. _

"I can see why Lilly likes this so much." she breathed and the dragon made a sound that could have been a chuckle. "I think you can go faster now. We need to catch up with Viggo."

Another purr and the dragon did as Martha requested.


	90. Chapter 89 - Let the battle begin

**3rd Person POV**

Viggo couldn't believe this was happening to him. The first shock of being picked up by the black dragon began to wear off and he started to kick fruitlessly into the air. One part of him was furious while another part of him was also scared at being at the dragon's mercy like this. Still, his anger outweighed his fear.

"What do you think you're doing!?" he screamed, trying to hit the dragon's belly with his fist. "You crazy lizard! Let me go!"

The dragon snorted and then, just like that, the claws around Viggo's shoulders opened.

It took Viggo a few seconds to realize that he was falling. But when it hit him, his mouth fell open in a shocked scream: "NOOO...NOT WHAT I MEANT!" 

The wind was howling in his ears and Viggo flailed his arms, as if that could somehow save him from falling. He lost the air to scream. 

This was it. He would die now.

But just as the ocean surface came dangerously close, Viggo felt a grip on his right leg. Hanging upside down, he chanced a glance at his savior and almost expected it to be one of the dragon riders. But to his surprise it was the black dragon again. "What?" he panted out, not sure if he could believe his own eyes. Was this dragon playing around with him?

The dragon made a deep rumbling sound, that sounded almost like a chuckle and when he eventually lowered his head to look at him with blind eyes, Viggo was pretty sure that the dragon _did laugh_. Anger filled him once again. 

"Oh you think you're a humorous dragon then? Well_ that_ is not funny! Now if you would please..." Viggo swung his arms around and tried to gesture the dragon to pull him up. Very much to his surprise, the dragon understood. 

With an amused chortle, the dragon reached down to grab Viggo by his tunic and pulled him up so that he could finally climb onto his back. Once Viggo steadied himself, he let out a deep sigh of relief. His head spun and there was a strange feeling in his stomach but that was something he could ignore for now. He was alive. So the dragon didn't want to kill him after all, but what did he want then? Viggo frowned. "You're the strangest dragon I've ever encountered."   
Another gurgling sound was his answer and since the dragon seemed to understand every word that Viggo spoke, he decided to keep talking. 

"So, since I am apparently stuck on your back, I suppose I have no choice but to trust you. Will you take me to Drago's flagship?" 

The dragon gave a growl and then Viggo had to hold on tight as he sped up towards the approaching fleet.   
  
  
  
  
  
The ships of both fleets were steadily coming closer to each other and it didn't take long until the first volley of catapult fire came from one of Drago's ships, missing Robert's flagship by a whisker. 

Robert sighed in relief, though his body tensed with anticipation at the promise of battle.

Eira stepped to his side and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. The siblings shared a little smile and then Robert couldn't help but mock: "Don't be scared sis."

Eira huffed. "Who do you think I am?"

"There are a lot of lonely, angry men over there, probably just waiting to take out Drago's revenge on us." Robert shrugged and Eira let out a breathy laugh.

"Don't worry _little brother_...I'll make sure they won't rape you." 

Robert faked an insulted expression but then both of them started to laugh before it was finally time.

"Fire!" Robert shouted as one enemy ship got close enough. 

His men did as told and let the catapults loose. Countless, brown leather bags rained down onto the enemy ship, bursting to release green liquid wherever they came down. Drago's men stared at the substance for a second, confused. 

Now Robert ordered his archers to line up.

Confused faces turned to terrified ones when a rain of burning arrows poured down on Drago's men, setting the Monstrous Nightmare gel aflame. The whole ship was engulfed in flames in almost no time. 

Drago's fleet responded immediately, hitting a few of Robert's ships with heavy boulders that caused the planks to splinter. Dragon roars echoed from the west, followed by the sound of an explosion. The dragon riders were attacking Drago's larger ships as a distraction and to prevent them from coming too close to the smaller ships of their own fleet.

Robert looked to the sky, hoping that everything went according to plan.  
  
  


Astrid let Stormfly do a side roll, dodging several nets and arrows that had been shot at them, but that only had her heading right into the fire range of a dragon Flyer. The Singetail fired but Stormfly managed to dodge again. Astrid's heart hammered hard in her chest and her blood rushed with the thrill of battle. 

Once she was out of fire range, she let her gaze wander around frantically. Astrid had never seen so many ships before, not even when battling Alvin or Dagur. It didn't take her long to spot the flagship. It was way bigger than all surrounding ships and held far more weaponry than she'd ever encountered. 

A spark of hope spread in her heart. If Drago had Hiccup and Stoick, then they would surely be there. 

"Stormfly, spines!" she yelled as the dragon Flyer chased her. Stormfly's tail slashed out and one of her spines went straight through the Flyer's throat. Grasping at his neck in shock, the man dropped from his dragon and down into the cold sea. Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid spotted Snotlout and Hookfang going for the right flankship, the one where Fulgur and Shadow were caged according to Robert. Arrows were shot at them from all sides and Astrid just hoped they would be alright, then led Stormfly down in a speed dive. 

There was no sight of Hiccup on deck, however something else caught Astrid's eye thrashing about in one of the many cages. 

"TOOTHLESS!" she cried out and said dragon stopped his tantrum almost immediately. Big green eyes met hers and Astrid instantly knew what she had to do.   
  
  
  


Lilly watched with a horrified expression as the dragon riders circled above their heads. The words Drago told her were still vivid in her mind. They were all going to die. They had no idea what horror was waiting beneath the surface for them. It made her wonder why Drago had not summoned his Bewilderbeast yet...but he was probably just waiting for the right moment. She wanted to scream to them to leave and save themselves but her voice got stuck in her throat and nothing but a strangled sob left her mouth.   
  
  
  


Ruffnut and Tuffnut were planning to engulf the flagship into Zippleback's gas but Krogan spotted them first. With an arrogant smirk, he loaded an arrow into his crossbow and fired. 

"Tuff watch out!" Ruffnut screamed on top of her lungs. The arrow was rushing right for him and if he didn't duck in time, she was about to see her brother getting stabbed by it right in front of her eyes. 

Out of instinct, Tuffnut flattened himself onto Belch and the arrow went straight over his head, grazing his helmet. 

"Woah!" he yelled, eyes wide in shock. "That was a little too close." 

Krogan growled in annoyance and aimed at the twins once more. This time he didn't miss. 

Barf and Belch both screeched as the dragon root covered arrow pierced them into their belly. Almost instantly they began to sway and fell onto the deck of the flagship with a loud thump, the impact yanking Ruff and Tuff out of their saddles. 

Ruff stumbled to her feet first, breathing hard and heart pounding from the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. "Tuff!" she cried out for her brother again. 

"Here! Ouch..." Tuffnut replied weakly as he stumbled back to his feet, pressing his left arm against his chest. 

"Are you hurt?" Ruff asked as she hurried to her brother's side. 

"My arm...I think its broken..." he grimaced and hissed in pain as Ruff attempted to touch it. 

There were yelling voices coming closer to them. Ruffnut looked around frantically. "We need to get you away from here." 

"But Barf and Belch..." Tuff protested.

"Are out cold! There's nothing we can do, now come before they get us." Ruffnut urged her brother to move as she finally spotted a hatch that led under deck.   
  
  


Drago's armada was huge. There were far more ships and dragons than Viggo had expected and his confidence started to crumble at the realization. However, as the black dragon brought him closer, something far more shocking caught his sight.

„By Odin..." he breathed, then shouted on top of his lungs. „LILLY!"

The black dragon let out a furious roar at his exclamation and before Viggo could even think of forming words, the dragon was shooting down at an indescribable speed. 

The dragon had not yet landed but Viggo couldn't control himself and jumped. His knees hit the hard wooden planks but he hardly felt the pain. He had no time to waste. Within a heartbeat he was at Lilly's side. He dropped to his knees, heart racing rapidly in shock and terror as the full sight of her hit him. 

"Lilly..." he rasped out. "...my gods what has he done to you?" 

A strangled sound left Lilly's mouth but she refused to lift her head. Her body shook violently, either from fright or the cold Viggo did not know. He could hardly control his breathing as white-hot fury started to consume his body. It made him thirsty for blood. This was his sister kneeling in front of him, chest bare and a nasty looking brand just above her left breast. How dare that bastard laying hand on _his little flower_? 

Viggo reached out to touch her chin but Lilly suddenly cried out. 

"No! Leave!"

Viggo drew his hand back, startled at his sister's outburst. Slowly she raised her head and stared at him with wide, teary eyes. "G-go...go away..." 

Her voice sounded so ragged that it broke Viggo's heart. He shook his head vehemently and without thinking twice, stripped out of his black tunic. He couldn't bear seeing Lilly exposed like this and just the mere thought that Drago and all of his men got to see her like that made his fury burn all the hotter. They would all die for this. The black dragon came closer, but neither of them noticed. 

"No, no, no, I will get you out of here." he insisted and pushed the tunic over her head. It got stuck on the chain around her neck, but at least was long enough to cover her chest.

Lilly let out a sob, turned her head away from him. "It's useless...y-you must lea-leave before its too late...you'll all die..."

"NO!" Viggo protested, getting more desperate by the second.

"Everyone dies...I wish I could die..." Lilly mumbled, beside herself. Tears were dripping from her eyes onto Viggo's hands and he felt himself tear up as well at the brokenness of his little sister. She sobbed and somehow made herself meet his gaze. "I want to die Viggo..."

"Will you _not_ talk like that please!" Viggo pleaded as he frantically tried to brush her steady flowing tears away. "Lilly...I am here now...I'll get you out of here..."

The black dragon was now really close, sniffing at the cuff on Lilly's left arm and Viggo, feeling that the dragon might be more of a hindrance in his attempts to get his sister free, pushed his snout away. "Not now...can't you see I'm busy dragon?!" he exclaimed shakily. The dragon gave a snort.

_"Gods, I almost forgot how annoying you are...maybe next time I won't catch you._.."

Lilly inhaled sharply and her eyes widened as the dragon's voice filled her head. She knew that voice, or did she? Her mouth dropped open as she stared up at the foreign dragon and she hardly noticed that Viggo kept whispering reassurances to her until another voice echoed over deck. Lilly instantly froze. 

"How touching." Drago scoffed as he sauntered towards them, his dark gaze solely on Lilly.

The black dragon growled and Viggo instantly drew his sword as he jumped to his feet, shielding Lilly behind his back from the warlords gaze. He glared at Drago, chest heaving in savage rage and bloodlust.

"But you're too late, Grimborn. She's mine. I _marked_ her and there's nothing you can do about it." Drago sneered as he stepped closer to Viggo. The black dragon growled louder, baring his teeth but Drago paid him no heed. None of them would stand a chance once he summoned his Bewilderbeast. 

Viggo's nostrils flared as he raised his sword, setting the blade aflame. "I promised my sister your heart and it's a promise I don't intend to break." 

Drago only smiled that wicked smile of his as he raised his bullhook. "Oh? You can try." 

"Now!" Eira yelled and a group of hunter soldiers raised their bellows to release waves of Flightmare mist and freeze their opponents, making it easy to cut through them and board their ship. 

With a yell, Eira jumped onto Drago's right flankship, stabbing her sword into the chest of an attacker. Blood sprayed onto her face as she yanked it free, lunging at the next warrior that rushed up to attack her. There were many, but her lithe form gave her the advantage of quick and sudden moves. 

She fought her way up to the dragon cages where she finally found what she was looking for. With a yell, she waved her sword high up in the air. 

Snotlout got the hint and instantly knew what he had to do. "Alright, I can do this! Watch out, five thousand pound of flame and muscle coming through!" he yelled as Hookfang rushed down towards the dragon cages that Eira pointed out to him, roasting a couple of Drago's soldiers in the process.

As soon as they were close enough, Snotlout jumped from Hookfang's back - throwing a small vessel to Eira while he kept a similar one to himself. With a quick move, they poured the Changewing Acid onto the metal locks on the cages causing them to spring open. 

There was a roar and in the next second Fulgur and Shadow were free. 

Eira let out a cry of triumph and shared a court nod with Snotlout who hopped back on Hookfang's back with a cry of victory. "Yeah baby! Snotlout, Snotlout, Oi, Oi, Oi!"

However, their success did not stay unnoticed. Krogan screamed in fury as his eyes fell on the black haired woman who dared to betray his master. He was going to end her. Krogan spurred his Singetail on to fly deeper as he loaded his crossbow once more. 

Astrid rattled desperately at Toothless' cage, trying in vain to open it, when suddenly she found herself circled by enemies.

"Stormfly!" she yelled and her dragon fired her spines, hitting three of Drago's men but there were just too many following. There was no way avoiding a fight now, but Astrid was ready. 

She cried out, swung her axe at a warrior and chopped his head right off his shoulders. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, giving her power she did not know she possessed. She managed to kill two more attackers but then she was a second too slow. 

Pain blazed like fire through her left side and a startled scream left her throat. Shocked, Astrid gazed down at herself and was met with blood. Luckily the cut was not deep enough to kill, she'd just been grazed. Grinding her teeth together, Astrid raised her axe once more. She couldn't let bleeding stop her from fighting. 

Toothless was throwing a fit in his cage, slamming his head against the bars as he tried frantically to free himself. Astrid wished she could do something about it and suddenly it seemed her hopes were about to be fulfilled as a dark shadow appeared above her head and the silver dragon came into view. 

Drago's men gazed up in awe and fear, as the dragon opened his snout and fired. High pitched screams filled Astrid's ears as burning soldiers stumbled to the ground all around her. Then the dragon landed and Astrid noticed someone jump from his back. She frowned. _Martha?_

The poor girl looked utterly lost on a battlefield like that but Astrid had no time to pay her further attention as she fought off another attacker yet again. 

With a blaze of blue fire, the silver dragon managed to open Toothless' cage who jumped out with a furious roar, trying to yank his muzzle off. He had to find Hiccup.

"Stay quiet." Ruffnut whispered, holding Tuffnut tightly by his arm as she slowly peeked around the corridor from their hiding place. She waited a moment, while two of Drago's men ran past, heading up onto deck. 

"I'm alright." Tuffnut grumbled, but winced in pain when his sister pinched at his bad arm with raised eyebrows. 

"No, you're not." she whispered back. "We need to find you something to steady your arm." 

She let her brother lean on her as the both of them made their way down the corridor, sticking to the dark shadows and avoiding Drago's men all the way. Eventually they reached a door that was slightly open. Ruffnut strained her ears to check if any enemies were hidden behind but when she heard nothing, she pushed the door open as quietly as possible. 

What caught her eye then made her blood freeze in her veins. She gasped, her hands clasping in front of her mouth.

Tuff gave her a confused look. "What is it?" But when he turned to look into the room, his face went pale. 

"Hiccup..." Ruffnut breathed, her voice pained.

It was Hiccup hanging there in the middle of the room, naked and covered in blood, his hands tied above him to the ceiling. He didn't move and it made Ruffnut fear the worst. 

Tuffnut stumbled into the room first, slowly he ventured closer to their friend and leader. He had to gulp as his eyes fell on the deep cuts and slashes on Hiccup's body. "Oh by Thor...H? Are you alive?" 

Ruff was by his side within a second and carefully reached out to touch Hiccup's cheek, patting it gently. She startled when his eyes suddenly snapped open. 

Hiccup drew in a sharp breath, his chest heaving and in the next instant he was groaning in pain. "Ruff? Tuff? I...I thou-thought y-you were back...back on B-Berk..." he managed to rasp out and his eyes teared up at seeing his friends. He had given up all hopes to be rescued after Krogan had left him here to bleed to death. 

"You really thought we would go back without you?" Tuff asked incredulously.

Hiccup laughed weakly. No of course they wouldn't. He should have known that, his friends would never turn their back on him. "S-sorry...f-for..." he tried to apologize but Ruff stopped him by placing her fingers on his lips.

"Sh Hiccup, it's okay. We need to get you out of here and stop the bleeding. Who did this to you?"

"K-Krogan...tortured me t-to break Li-Lilly..." he rasped out, then winced in pain as Ruffnut put her arms around him while Tuffnut cut through the rope holding his arms up. She tried to avoid touching any open cuts and kept mumbling apologies, she didn't want to cause Hiccup any more pain than necessary. 

The rope came loose and Hiccup sagged down almost instantly, too weak to hold himself upright and he didn't have his prosthetic either. Ruffnut looked around for any kind of cloth to stop the bleeding and ended up tearing Hiccup's tunic to bandage his wounds. It was not the best solution but it had to make do for now. At least she could prevent further bloodloss this way until they were back at hunter island. 

Then, ever so careful the twins helped Hiccup back into his pants, Ruffnut turning her head to the side as they did this to give him as much privacy as she could. Hiccup had not allowed her to look at him naked. He hissed in pain as the leather brushed over the welts on his legs and privates but didn't utter a word of complaint, then they put his prosthetic back on. 

When Hiccup finally was decent, Ruffnut dared to speak up again. "Hiccup, where do they keep your dad?" 

Hiccup couldn't answer. He felt like he just got stabbed right into his chest. A strangled sob left his mouth and tears came streaming freely as his eyes met his friend's. Tuffnut felt a lump in his throat and he put his good arm around Hiccup's shoulder, pulling him close. Ruffnut shook her head in disbelief. There were no words needed. 

They understood that their chief was dead. 

There were voices outside, startling the youths from their grief. "Shit..." Ruff exclaimed. "We better get going." 

She and Tuff hauled Hiccup up to his feet between them and although Hiccup wished he could just lie down and die, he willed himself to move. "Tooth-Toothless..." he breathed out. "I need to find Toothless...then Lilly..."

Drago growled in anger as he saw more and more of his men fall. Viggo finally charged at him with a cry of savage rage but Drago blocked the blow without much effort - pushing the younger man backwards. Viggo staggered slightly, the aftereffects of being poisoned made his steps unsteady. 

The warlord had enough of this. Now it was time to let the _real battle_ begin. He began twirling his bullhook high in the air and screamed for his Alpha. 

Viggo furrowed his brows in confusion as the ship started to shake and bubbles formed on the surface of the sea. 

Lilly inhaled sharply, her eyes widening in panic and she shook her head violently. _No, no, no...now they would all die._

As if he could read her thoughts, the black dragon acted quickly. With a low growl he shot forward and bit through the chain that bound Lilly to the mast, then through the ones binding her hands. Luckily, being meant for human prisoners, they were not dragon proof. Lilly yelped in shock at the sudden and unexpected freedom and although the shackles themselves did not come off, she felt incredibly relieved. Before she could comprehend what was happening to her, the black dragon had her by Viggo's tunic and yanked her onto his back before he took off.

"WHAT?" Drago yelled in both fury and confusion. 

Lilly was almost equally confused. "_What are you doing?_" she cried out in her mind.

_"Something I should have done all along..."_ the dragon's voice was a deep, familiar, rumble that vibrated through Lilly's whole body. ".._.little sister_." 

Lilly's heart nearly stopped its beat. This was impossible...and yet...that voice. 

The dragon turned his head and Lilly gasped as she realized he was blind. Memories of the dragon riders hit her, memories of two big burning fires and about how they talked about what Drago did to the bodies of grandfather and...

_"Ryker?"_ she breathed barely audible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you liked the chapter. What do you think about the ending? ;)
> 
> Also any other thoughts on how the battle will end?


	91. Chapter 90 - Please don't leave me

**3rd Person POV**

Viggo staggered, but got a grip on the railing that prevented him from tripping as the ship started to sway. He stared after the black dragon and his sister in shock, chest heaving, when something else - something far more disturbing caught his eye.

The sea was bubbling and there was a face - an impossibly large face coming closer to the surface. Viggo blinked, shook his head. For a moment, he was certain his mind was playing tricks on him due to the poison but instead of disappearing the face eventually broke the surface, causing a huge wave to hit the ship that sent Viggo backwards. He landed on his back - hard - and for a moment he couldn't find the air to breathe.

The water caused his flaming blade to extinguish, but Viggo didn't care. His eyes went wide as a he realized what kind of dragon it was. "My gods..." he breathed. This was bad. Really bad.

"Class ten! This is a class ten!" Fishlegs cried out somewhere above him, his voice high pitched and panicked.  
  


"What the Hel was that?" Ruff cried out as she and the boys were thrown against a wall inside of the ship.

Hiccup groaned at the pain the impact caused him but managed to stumble back to his feet. His hand went to his side were blood seeped through the makeshift bandage of his tunic.

_Great_. He thought grimly.

Dark spots danced across his vision and he just hoped he wouldn't faint due to bloodloss. Grinding his teeth together Hiccup made himself move. He needed to get to Toothless.

"Dr-Drago's Bewilderbeast..." he rasped out.

"Bewilder-what?" Tuff asked, his eyes teary as he clutched his broken arm to his chest. "You mean like the one in your mother's cave?"

"Yeah..." Hiccup gasped in pain as he set his foot on the first step that led onto deck. "...it...it controls our dragons...I need to get...get Toothless..."

"Wait, Hiccup!" Ruff quickly jumped to her feet and hurried over to support him climbing up the steps. Tuffnut followed, his face wrinkled in confusion and concern.

As soon as they climbed onto deck, they were met by a raging battle. Hiccup had to blink several times to adjust his eyes to the daylight but then he spotted him, thrashing about and knocking soldiers over with his tail. "Toothless..." Hiccup gasped out, freeing himself of Ruffnut's grip and lunged forward only to fall to his hands and knees.

He winced in pain and for a second feared he would lose consciousness, but it did nothing to stop him. "Toothless..." he heaved out once more while he forced himself to crawl - he needed his dragon...his best friend.

Behind him Ruffnut reacted quickly, grabbing a spear from a fallen soldier and ramming it into the chest of a charging attacker. It didn't take long and the three teens found themselves surrounded by enemies.

"Toothless!" Hiccup somehow made himself cry out as he took a kick to his side and stumbled over, spitting up blood.

The black dragon spun around, big green eyes growing wide as he noticed a warrior raising his hammer just above Hiccup's head.

Toothless let out a furious roar and jumped. No one would hurt his Hiccup again.  
  


Lilly felt like she must be dreaming...or hallucinating to be more precise. This was unbelievable, shocking really and her mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend what was going on. She let her fingers run over smooth, dark scales and for a moment her brain went blank and she forgot how to form words.

_"But...how...why...it's impossible..."_ she finally managed to utter in her mind.

The dragon, who apparently was her brother, gave a snort. _"Tell me about it! First everything was dark and then I could already smell the ale from Odin's hall, but no that old fellow over there had to make a deal with Freya and got us turned into a dragon... I'm a dragon, Lilly! Me! All I get now is stinky fish..."_

Lilly shook her head in bewilderment. By Odin's beard, there was no doubt. This really _was_ Ryker.

_"Old fellow?"_ she repeated the words quite breathlessly as her eyes fell on another dragon who took off into the air just as she noticed him. _"You mean..." _

_"Yes, that's Hammond."_ There was an amused tone in Ryker's voice.

Lilly felt like her heart stopped its beating. Her eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise._ "Grandfather..." _she breathed in utter disbelief.

But just then a hellish noise shook Lilly back to reality. She gazed back down and gasped in shock. The Bewilderbeast had broken the surface and Drago's bull-hook made a sharp, whistling sound that clawed at Lilly's ears and hurt inside of her head. Ryker must have felt it too because he started to shake his head as if to get rid of the annoying noise.

The Bewilderbeast roared and within a second fired its icy breath at one of the Hunter's ships, causing the planks to splinter and freezing screaming soldiers to death.

_"Damn it...Hammond wasn't lying about that beast..."_ Ryker growled when something else caught Lilly's sight and she gasped in sudden shock.

"Hiccup!" she cried out as she recognized Toothless lunging at a fierce looking attacker and knocking him down. At his feet lay Hiccup, panting and covered in blood. Toothless was still muzzled and they were circled by countless enemies. _"Ryker we need to help them_!"

_"Urgh...that walking fishbone...do I have to? My task was to save you, not him."_ Ryker grunted in response. Lilly felt her heart speed up in anger at this.

_"Yes! You have to! I love him."_ she insisted, kicking her feet into Ryker's sides.

_"Are you sure about that? You know we could just let nature go its way and I find you a proper Viking..._"

_"Ryker!"_

A laughter rumbled deep from his dragon chest. _"Alright sis, alright."_ he gave in and took a speed dive down.  
  


On the water, Robert yelled to his soldiers to launch volleys of flaming arrows towards the Dragon Flyers. Men were falling from their dragons and crashing into the freezing sea, but there were more to follow. Singetails sent Robert's ships aflame to his left and to his right. The young man growled in frustration as he motioned his men to bring forth the bola launchers.

"Now!" he shouted as a Dragon Flyer charged at his command ship. His men fired and the bolas wrapped themselves around the yellow dragon causing it to screech before it took its rider with him into the sea.

Steadily they got closer to Drago's flagship and when they did, enemy soldiers started to board his ship with a raging battlecry. Robert smoothly dodged a blow to his head, then ran his sword through the man who's axe he just avoided. The man's mouth dropped open in shock before he fell to the ground - dead. He fought his way through opponents when suddenly something else caught his eye. A single person, surrounded by enemies, fighting for her bare survival. Her body was covered in sweat and blood and although she put up a tough fight, Robert could tell that her strength was leaving her.

The Bewilderbeast of Drago roared once more, trying to fight off the silver dragon who directed blasts of blue fire at the dragons head. Their fight caused the ships to sway dangerously. Robert barely had time to register what happened, but one second he watched the Berkian fight and the next he saw her stumble as the ship shook and with a breathless cry she went over board.

Without even minding to sheath his sword, Robert spurted forward and climbed onto the railing.

"Don't back down!" he cried out to his men, panting heavily. "Free as many dragons as you can!" Then he jumped.  
  


Drago fumed with anger as he watched his Bewilderbeast get tormented by the silver dragon. "TAKE CONTROL OVER HIM YOU DAMN BEAST!" he roared, swirling his bull-hook over his head. "TAKE CONTROL OVER THEM ALL!"

It didn't take much for Viggo to figure out that Drago was controlling his beast with his bull-hook and it was not something he planned on letting him do any longer. His blood pounded in his ears as he began to speed walk towards the warlord.

Viggo raised his sword high, aiming for Drago's head but the warlord side-stepped with deliberate ease, causing Viggo's sword to hit nothing but wooden planks. He dragged it out with an outraged growl and hearing Drago chuckle did nothing to calm the raging storm inside of him.

"You still believe you can win this, Grimborn?" Drago scoffed, his lips turned into a twisted grin as he pointed his bull-hook at Viggo. "Your sister is mine! And so will be all of your dragons!"

"Over my dead body." Viggo snarled, his heart racing in hatred and anticipation as both men circled one another.

"That can be arranged." Drago laughed darkly and took a strong swing that Viggo nearly didn't manage to evade. He gasped and staggered, dark spots dancing across his vision but soon regained himself.

Drago let out an outraged scream and launched, battering away at Viggo with all his might. He was done playing around. He was out for the killing blow.

Viggo's breathing had long turned to short pants as he blocked stroke after stroke. He still couldn't fight properly with his blade hand. His bare chest was covered in sweat but Viggo felt no cold. His blood was searing with the rage of battle. Drago roared in fury as he constantly failed to get past his defenses when Viggo suddenly saw someone heading towards them who seemed to be utterly misplaced on the battlefield.

_Martha_? Viggo furrowed his brows at the realization, causing him to get briefly distracted. In that time Drago struck, his bull-hook slicing down into the flesh of his right thigh. A shockwave of agony shot up that leg as it was injured again after his fight with Asmund. It was like lightning rocketing through his body. Viggo ground his teeth together, trying to mask his pain but he couldn't hold in an anguished groan as he stumbled backwards.

Martha let out a loud gasp but in the next instant clasped her hands in front of her mouth as she realized her mistake. Drago turned to face her, raising his brows with a mocking grin as he took in the sight of the girl in front of him.

"Martha..." Viggo warned, hoping she would get the hint and run to hide somewhere. She shouldn't be here in the first place, hadn't he ordered her to stay? Of course the girl refused to listen again. Bravely, she unsheathed her small dagger from the belt around her dress and pointed it at Drago with stubborn determination.

The warlord glanced from her pathetic weapon up to her face, then burst out laughing as he made his way over to Martha. Viggo tried to intervene, but as it was he could hardly stay on his feet. Blood drenched through his pants and it burned. Before he even got the chance to move, Drago slapped Martha hard across her face causing her to fall and land at Drago's feet with a shocked cry. The warlord began weaving his fingers roughly in her hair, pulling her up by the roots. Martha screeched in pain, her eyes growing wide in fear.

"Drago." Viggo heaved out, while he forced himself to step closer. "Let her go."

But Drago only laughed as he wrenched Martha's dagger out of her hand and pressed it hard to her neck.

"Drop your weapon or she dies." he snarled viciously.

Viggo froze dead in his tracks and swallowed hard. He was _not_ the person to give in to such an extortion. After all it was his devise that people were expandable, that no one was irreplaceable. At least that had been his motto for many years. Thirteen long years, during which he believed the only person, that ever proved to be irreplaceable to him, was gone. But things were different now. The truth was...since Lilly returned his walls started to break, he started to _care_ and the feeling was so foreign...so utterly terrifying that Viggo wished he could go back and close his heart just to stop feeling altogether. The more people he cared for, the more vulnerable he got. He loathed it.

But Martha was innocent.

So he opened his hand, sending his extinguished sword to the ground with a low thump.

"No, Chief Grimborn." Martha ground out as she struggled uselessly against her captor.

"Let her go." Viggo demanded once more, trying to keep his voice void from pain. "She has nothing to do with any of this...it's not her that you want..."

"Maybe not, but she will help me gain something else that I want. Something I wanted to witness since the day you refused to bow to me." Drago rumbled, his voice had taken on a gravely tone. "Your complete downfall."  
  


Astrid had screamed when she lost her footing and tripped. She was only falling for a few seconds before she hit the frigid water. She fought hard to get back up, but the battle had tired her out and she was too heavy with her boots and all the clothing. Astrid was quickly losing consciousness as she sank deeper into cold and darkness. She didn't know how much longer she could hold her breath. Where was Stormfly?

Dark spots danced across her vision when suddenly something closed around her waist. There was an upwards movement and finally whoever saved her broke the surface.

Someone screamed in the distance and Astrid felt herself being pulled out of the water onto a hard ground. The darkness still wouldn't leave her, she felt cold and numb. Suddenly she felt a slap across her cheek, then another one followed by something hot and wet against her lips.

Astrid bolted upright, spitting up splashes of salty water and gasped heavily, feeling like she was coming back to life. She was shivering violently and so it took her a few shuddering breaths to realize that someone was kneeling above her.

It was Robert.

If she wasn't in a state of shock, Astrid would have huffed in outrage. Out of all people it must have been him?

What made it worse was that Robert was practically straddling her and when she finally met his gaze, a bold grin spread across his tanned face. "Looks like we're even now."

Astrid growled under her breath and before Robert knew what was happening, he found himself sent to his back in a sudden blow. He clutched his hand in front of his nose as he stared up at Astrid in bewilderment.

She unclenched her fist with a satisfied smirk as she got back to her feet. "No. Now we're even."  
  


Lilly jumped off Ryker's back as soon as they were close enough to the ship. She was at Toothless' side within the blink of an eye and yanked the muzzle off his snout while Ryker buried his razor sharp teeth into one of Drago's men. The surrounding warriors backed away in fear.

Toothless didn't waste another second and turned to Hiccup, nuzzling his head into the side of his neck with a sad warbling sound. Hiccup clung to his dragon with an equal amount of emotion, tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay bud...I know you never meant to hurt him...they...they made you do it." he sobbed into black scales. "You would never hurt me."

Lilly heard Toothless confirm the very thing in her mind. She bit her lower lip as she watched the two of them, feeling utterly out of place. When Hiccup finally lifted his gaze to her, she couldn't help the tears starting to flow as well. They just stared at each other for a few moments, neither of them finding the right words to say. Both of them lost in their own world of loss, guilt and pain.

"Hiccup...I..." she began, fumbling with the way too long sleeves of Viggo's tunic but couldn't continue. What would she even say? That she failed to withstand the Bewilderbeast? That the only reason Hiccup got tortured and his parents killed was her? That she wasn't even her own person anymore? That Drago had made her into nothing but a slave?

Hiccup groaned in agony as he stumbled back to his feet, using Toothless as support. He wasn't sure how to feel, but he knew that he was relieved to see Lilly free of the chains and from what he could tell, physically unharmed. "You..you're free...are you okay?" he finally rasped out, bringing himself to meet Lilly's eyes again however hard it was.

Lilly didn't know how to answer. She was not free and she was far from being okay. "Hiccup you're hurt!" she gasped out between tears, stepping closer to him.

"I..I'm fine... they're just scratches..." Hiccup lied, forcing his lips into a half-smile as she reached out to touch his cheek. He didn't want to burden Lilly any further. It's just the way he was, always putting others before himself.

_"Don't want to spoil you're little reunion...but there's still a battle going on."_

Lilly drew her hand away and turned to Ryker who sent two of Drago's warriors over board just as they were about to attack the twins. Toothless' ears perked up and he growled as his eyes fell on the Bewilderbeast fighting the silver dragon.

Hiccup's gaze followed Toothless' and his jaw tightened in grim determination. His brows however furrowed as he noticed the foreign dragon as well. It was a dragon he had never seen before but he seemed to take his distraction of the Bewilderbeast very seriously. Staring up to the strange spectacle, Hiccup didn't notice straight away that a similar, but black dragon, came closer to where he stood with Lilly. Toothless made a strange sound and tilted his head at the dragon and Hiccup gasped when he turned and found himself staring straight into blind eyes.

Out of instinct, he raised his hand in an attempt to bond with the dragon.

_"Huh?" _For a short moment Ryker was confused as he sensed Hiccup's hand close to his snout. But when he realized what the boy was attempting, a deep and annoyed growl left his throat_. "Oh I swear, if he tries this hand thing with me it will be the last time he has hands..."_ He may be trapped in a dragon's body, but that didn't mean he would let anyone pet him like a domesticated dragon.

"Hiccup...please don't do that!" Lilly cried out, honestly scared for the safety of Hiccup's hand.

Hiccup gave her an odd look but dropped his hand anyway. "Why not?"

"Ry-...the dragon doesn't want you to touch him..." she mumbled, fiddling with her fingers. How was she supposed to explain that this dragon was her dead brother? She didn't even comprehend herself for Thor's sake.

"Oh..." Hiccup uttered and gave the dragon a disappointed look. Toothless understood who that dragon was though he wondered how the older Grimborn gained the power to fulfill such a powerful transformation. But that was something he would think about later. There were more urgent matters at hand now. Toothless rolled his eyes at the scene before him as his impatience grew. He gently nudged Hiccup's side as not to hurt him and eventually ,Hiccup turned to him. "You're right bud, we gotta put an end to this."

Hiccup bit back a groan as he climbed on top of Toothless' back. Dear gods...that hurt. "Let's do this...you and me bud. Together."

Toothless warbled in agreement. Hiccup and Lilly shared one last glance before Toothless pushed himself off the ground.

_"Are you just going to stand there?"_

Ryker's question caught Lilly off guard and for a second she just blinked in bewilderment before her heart sank again. "_I won't be of any help to anyone...I failed against the Bewilderbeast...and just I look at me...Drago made a slave out of me..."_ she muttered weakly, touching the aching brand beneath the tunic.

_"No. He hasn't."_

_"But he branded me!" _

_"Oh yes, I know...but that never stopped him or did it?"_ said Ryker in a calm voice while he lifted his head to the sky. Lilly followed his gaze and her heart leaped at the sight of the dragon that was Hammond. It was true, her grandfather had lost everything to Drago, was forced to serve him, got branded, but in his heart ,he had never been a slave. Tears welled up behind Lilly's eyes as the sudden urge to be with her grandfather took over her whole body.

_"Drago may have branded your body, but he will never be able to enslave your mind...unless you allow him to_."

Ryker gave her shoulder a gentle nudge and Lilly sobbed and laughed at the same time. _"I never thought you were that...wise." _

_"Ah well, it's actually something Hammond told me. So...are you coming or not?"_

Lilly lifted her gaze to the sky, took in the raging battle around her - dragons roaring and thrashing against their bonds. Soldiers, Hunters and enemies alike, were dying to her left and to her right. Toothless was taking a speed flight to the other side of the ship. The dragon riders, the hunters, even Eira...they all came to save her and that realization filled Lilly's heart with hope. And so she plucked up all her courage.

_"Yes. Yes, I'm coming." _

Ryker chuckled._ "That's right, sis. Because there's someone coming to see you."_

Lilly turned her head in confusion but her heart skipped a beat when her eyes fell on another black dragon darting in her direction.

_"Shadow!"_ she cried out and tears of joy dropped from her eyes onto Shadow's scales as Lilly buried her face into the night fury's neck.

_"Oh Lilly, I am sorry...I wanted to give you Hiccup's message..."_ Shadow's voice was heavy with sorrow but Lilly shushed her.

_"It's okay...it's okay...oh gods I am so happy to see you._" she cried. Her dragon was here, Shadow who had always been like a mother to her. Everything was going to be okay.

Then several things happened at the same time.   
  


There was a moment of silence and Viggo panted heavily as he took in Drago's words. But instead of giving in, his lips turned up into the tiniest of smirks. "Or perhaps I am going to witness yours."

Both the warlord and Martha gave him a look as if he had turned mad, just before the familiar sound of a plasma blast filled the air. Toothless aimed his shot in front of Drago's feet to avoid hitting Martha but the impact alone sent Drago several feet over his ship where he landed flat on his back.

Martha was yanked backwards as well but Hope saw it coming and rushed forward to soften Martha's fall. The girl gave Hope a big hug, seeing that the little dragon was alright and warbling proudly.

Hiccup shared a short glance with Viggo who nodded in acknowledgment but there was no time for anything more.

Seeing their master down caused Drago's soldiers to increase their efforts and attacks with a new wave of violence.

Viggo picked up his sword and in a rush was at Martha's side, plowing down enemies on his way. He grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her back up on her feet.

"Haven't I told you to stay back on the island?" he pressed out as he dragged Martha behind a wall of wooden barrels.

Martha's face was pale, but her eyes were determined. "I wanted to help. I can help. Magnus sent me to tell you..."

"He sent you?!" Viggo's eyes filled with fury. "So he continues to act behind my back?!"

"No, no, please chief Grimborn...Magnus knew you wouldn't listen to him, so he sent me with the silver dragon...to tell you the word you are seeking is Pryjatan."

Viggo huffed. "Come now, Martha. I've had enough of this nonsense."

"But..."

"Enough! A battle is no place for you. You will stay right here and hide...and keep the baby dragon under control." Viggo pushed Martha further behind the barrels. Before he left, he turned once more. "And Martha, this is not a request - it's an order."

Viggo had just a moment to raise his sword as Drago lunged at him once more.

"Oh, I see you are back on your feet." he commented dryly, sidestepping another blow. Drago yelled in blind fury when suddenly a loud screech filled to air.

The whole battle came to a halt as everyone watched the silver dragon sway and fall out of the sky - his right wing covered in thick layers of ice. He crashed onto the flagship, crushing unlucky men beneath his body weight who didn't manage to run off fast enough.

Hiccup froze in his saddle, shook his head and whispered a small "Oh no."

Drago laughed out loud and stepped closer to the railing while raising his bull-hook. He started to roar, dragging his Bewilderbeast's attention to him - then pointed to Viggo.

"Come on Toothless, we will not let him take control over the dragons again!" Hiccup cried out and they rushed forward, firing at the Bewilderbeast's head to distract it.

Ryker saw Hammond fall and took off to fight the beast as well with a furious roar.

"No! Grandfather!" Lilly cried out in terror but before she could run to him, she saw Drago point his bull-hook at Viggo. _Oh gods, no._

Viggo stood there, chest heaving but unaware of what this gesture was supposed to mean.

The Bewilderbeast growled, opened his big mouth. Toothless and Ryker were firing at the beast, but it just needed to land one good shot.

Lilly panicked, started to run - but she was too slow, she knew she was too slow. "Move! Viggo, run!"

Viggo turned his head, gave her a confused look when he suddenly saw something blue and cold forming in the big dragon's mouth out of the corner of his eye. Lilly saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on her brother's face as the Bewilderbeast let out its icy breath.

"NO!" Lilly screamed on top of her lungs. He wouldn't make it.

Something black rushed past her at an indescribable speed, disappearing into clouds of icy blue.

Lilly heard Drago's triumphant scream and her heart sank down to her toes, but she was still running. She ran until the icy fog disappeared, fearing the worst, to see her brother frozen or impaled by a bolt of ice. But there he was, scrambling back up to his knees just a few inches away from the ice that piled up on the deck where he stood only seconds ago.

"Oh my gods!" Lilly was at his side within a second, hugging him tightly as fresh tears streamed down her face. "You're alive, you're alive..."

Viggo didn't respond, just pressed her tighter to his chest. Foreboding crawled in Lilly's stomach. How did he get away that fast? She raised her head to look past his shoulder, but Viggo moved, trying to block her view. "Lilly, don't..." he warned but the tone in his voice only increased the bad feeling in her gut.

"How did you...?" she mumbled, wriggled out of his grasp to see what he was so desperately trying to hide from her. Her eyes widened in utter terror as she did. "No...no..." she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Lilly, don't look." Viggo pleaded and tried to cup her face in his hands but she pushed him away with a furious growl. Her whole body was shaking violently.

"Then pluck my eyes out!" she screeched. Her feet moved without her even noticing. There she was, lying on the hard, cold wooden planks - a sharp icicle protruding her side.

"SHADOW!" Lilly yelled. "SHADOW!"

Her breath was coming in searing gasps. She can't be...she can't. Lilly felt like she was in another world, Viggo was screaming for her - Drago was laughing somewhere. Dragons roared, people yelled. It did not matter. She could hear none of them.

Time seemed to stop as she dropped to her knees. "Shadow!" she cried out, touching her best friends scales and shaking gently. Lilly touched something hot and red that stained once so smooth dark scales. "Please...Shadow please..." she sobbed.

Shadow's chest heaved as she let out a ragged breath and she opened one blue eye. Lilly almost yelled out with relief that she was still alive.

_"Lilly...Viggo...he was too slow, so I..." _

_"Sh, sh...don't talk Shadow, it's okay..."_ Lilly moved closer, patted Shadow's head. _"We will have Nanna look after you...we...we'll draw that ice out and patch you up and everything will be okay..." _she promised her.

Shadow chuckled lowly but had to close her eye due to the pain for a moment. _"D'you remember our island...we were happy on our island, right?...I wish I could see it again..." _

_"You will! We will go back there, I promise...we'll take Toothless, Hiccup and Hope with us and we will fly again...and fish again...Shadow_ _, _ _please...I need you..."_

A low humming sound left Shadow's throat as she closed her eyes again. "_You are stronger than you think Lilly...you will survive this battle...just promise me to look after Hope...Lilly, my love..." _

_"No...no Shadow, don't talk like that!_" Lilly grew desperate, clutched harder at Shadow's wound in an attempt to stop the blood from flowing.

_"Lilly...can you hold me? I'm feeling so cold..."_ Her voice was only a breath in Lilly's mind.

_"I'm right here....you are not dying Shadow! You are not!"_ she sobbed, throwing herself over Shadow's body in an attempt to warm her.

Shadow didn't respond. She just lay there, still. And cold.

_"Shadow?_" Lilly shook her, but nothing. "Wake up...wake up! Don't you dare to leave me! You stupid dragon! WAKE UP! Please...oh please...I love you!" She was drumming on Shadow's chest now, feeling desperation like she never had before. "Don't be gone! Wake up! I hate you...you useless reptile...please...please wake up!"

Lilly didn't use her mind to talk anymore, she cried out for everyone to hear. From her mouth came a cry from so raw that even the eyes of the dragon riders and several hunters were suddenly wet with tears. Little Hope came closer, nudged her mother's snout with a sad and questioning purr. Lilly refused to let go off her body as she shook under violent sobs when she suddenly heard another voice in her head, mocking and taunting.

_"Oh did I kill your dragon friend? Well_ _,_ _ it serves her right...how stupid to sacrifice herself for a human..." _

_"Don't talk like that! You have no right to address my granddaughter...you are a traitor of dragons..._" came another voice, that Lilly instantly recognized as Hammond. The silver dragon lay curled up a few feet away, unable to fly and watched the scene with a heavy heart. He closed his eyes and reached out to Lilly. _"Lillian...Ōñosmaghare (you brought light to my life)...you are more than you realize..."_

Something brushed Lilly's consciousness like a gentle breeze and right then she understood. Hatred rose in Lilly such as she had never known before, with a raging cry she flung herself up from Shadow's body and launched at the Bewilderbeast.

"Lilly - no!" cried Viggo from behind, tried to grasp her but she was already at the railing.

"YOU BEAST! YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED MY BEST FRIEND - AND NOW I'LL KILL YOU!" she bellowed, eyes almost glowing with fury.

The Bewilderbeast only laughed as Lilly jumped, getting a hold on one of his tusks.

_"Pathetic girl...I'd smash you like a bug if my master would allow me! You know nothing about dragons! You know nothing about me!" _

Lilly's nostrils flared as she recalled the words her grandfather had told her just before. _"I know you...your name is Undegon Nykao!" (I see you)_

The Bewilderbeast's eyes widened as he heard his true dragon name and with a furious roar he dove down into the deep sea, taking Lilly with him into the cold darkness.


	92. Chapter 91 - Not a slave part 1

**3rd Person POV**

"LILLY!" Viggo bellowed in horror as he witnessed his sister going under water with the giant beast.

Without a moment of hesitation he threw himself forward. The ship swayed dangerously on the swelling sea like a child's toy. Salty waves crashed onto deck and knocked soldiers off of their feet. Viggo held tightly onto the wooden railing as he climbed up and jumped.

Icy water surrounded him, stealing heat from every part of his skin as he dived deeper. Unlike most of his fellow Hunters, Viggo was a good swimmer but it was as if the coldness punched all air from his lungs. Salt stung in his eyes as he looked around frantically - the Bewilderbeast was huge, surely he must be able to spot it somewhere. But there was only darkness.

Bubbles brushed Viggo's cheek as he flailed his arms in an attempt to swim further. He couldn't lose her to the sea a second time - he couldn't. Dark dots started to dance across his vision and he sank a little deeper when suddenly familiar talons closed around his shoulders. Seconds later Viggo was pulled out of the water, his lungs drinking in the air in noisy gasps and his body shaking so violently that he couldn't form a coherent thought.

He managed to glance up. "F-f-f-Fulgurrr..."

The purple dragon made a sound that rumbled deep from his chest as he stared down at Viggo with big, yellow eyes. Drops of water ran in tiny rivers down his smooth scales. Viggo frowned. "You're wet, my friend." he commented between his gasps for air.

Fulgur purred at this, closing his eyes for a brief moment. There were no words needed, Viggo understood and his heart swelled at the realization. Fulgur, the mighty Skrill, was willing to risk his firepower in order to save him.

"Thank you." Viggo muttered in reverence before he let his gaze wander around the battlefield.

There was no sign of Lilly anywhere. Just a raging battle.

The massive impact of the Bewilderbeast's wave had caused several ships to overturn and now they drifted keel up in the rough sea - sending his own warriors as well as Drago's to their wet grave.

Viggo's heart dropped when instead of Lilly, his eyes fell on someone else. "Bring us down my friend." he gasped and Fulgur understood.  
  
  


"No!" Hiccup cried out as he watched Shadow getting impaled and Lilly throw herself at the Bewilderbeast before they went under water. Then Viggo was jumping right after her and Hiccup was determined to do the same. "Toothless take us down! We must save her!"

But the night fury shook his head vehemently. His rider was in no condition to throw himself into icy water and Toothless would not allow him to get hurt. Not as long as he could prevent it.

"Toothless! Move!" Hiccup cried, kicking his legs into his sides but Toothless wouldn't give in.

The Flagship finally stopped swaying and Toothless' eyes fell on the roaring warlord, scrambling back up to his feet. Toothless felt savage rage rushing through his veins - this man was responsible for all of this. He and his evil beast of a dragon.

Down on the ship he could hear little Hope wail next to her mother's body while Martha petted her head. It just added fuel to the anger searing in his body. Shadow was dead, probably the only Night Fury on this earth aside from Hope and himself. But she was more than that. Shadow had been his friend, his mate, his love. Her death weighed hard on his chest - it wasn't fair. And so Toothless made up his mind.

This battle was going nowhere. They had to take down Drago and what better moment than now when the Bewilderbeast was still under water and distracted. So instead of diving down into the sea, Toothless shot forward to face the warlord.

"Hey where are you going!" Hiccup shouted as he grabbed the saddle tightly to keep himself from falling.  
  
  
  


A sudden burst off pain caught Eira completely off guard. The ship was shaking threateningly and the impact sent her down to her knees - sword slipping from her fingers. The caged dragons all around roared in surprise and fear but Eira hardly noticed. Her right shoulder was on fire. With a breathless groan she stared down on the arrow sticking out of her flesh. She froze in shock - who?

There was a dark chuckle behind her. "Now look what we have here." Krogan all but purred as he strolled towards her, throwing his crossbow aside and drawing his sword.

"Krogan." Eira spat, trying to do a side-roll to get away from the dark man but Krogan was faster. Eira gasped in terror and pain as she took a kick to her stomach. Then Krogan's boot went to her neck, pressing her firmly to the ground. Eira struggled but there was no where she could go - the position had the arrow press harder into her flesh and the pain became almost blinding.

"Prepare to die, traitor." Krogan snarled as he raised his sword to finish her. Eira closed her eyes, awaiting the final strike but instead of searing pain there was a yell and suddenly Krogan's weight on her neck was gone.

Gasping for air, Eira sat up and her eyes widened in shock. "Viggo..." she breathed.

Viggo had thrown himself against Krogan, knocking the man to the ground and disarming him in the process. It was hard to tell who managed to get the upper hand as the men rolled over the deck.

A screech from behind caught Eira's attention for a second. She turned to find Fulgur embedding his fangs into the red Singetail's flesh. Both dragons took off to continue their fight in the air, mimicking their riders on the ground.

Krogan grunted in pain as Viggo landed a blow to the side of his jaw but his triumph wasn't meant to last.

Thumbs were suddenly seeking for his eyes.

Viggo twisted.

He should have known that Krogan would play unfair and look for the weak and tender spots on his body. And Viggo's body, otherwise strong and smooth, was still vulnerable after all the hurts it had endured over the last weeks. Krogan picked up on that quickly. The pounding blows Viggo suffered were all brutally aimed to land on his old wounds.

Despite all this, the first advantage was Viggo's. Cold, sore and still fighting that strange dizziness, he possessed skill that still counted for something. He dodged Krogan's blow that was aimed at his temple and landed a punch to the other man's stomach. Krogan grunted and groaned, digging his nails into Viggo's arms as he tried to spin them around. Viggo tried to call on his strength to finish things, reached out to wrap his hands around Krogan's throat, but the other man saw it coming - brought his knee up and hit Viggo hard where it truly hurt.

Searing pain had Viggo seeing stars and he wheezed, toppling over onto his side and curled in on himself.

In the next second he was on his back, pinned, blackness dancing across his vision as Krogan applied a crushing pressure against his windpipe. Viggo struggled to no avail - his strength flooding from his body like wine from an open barrel. His lungs burned. Krogan stared down at him with an evil chuckle.

_No_. Viggo sought desperately for some weakness that could be exploited, but found none. It was only then that he heard a screech in the distance and suddenly something came to his mind. Well at least he could try...

Viggo flung the last of his strength at the hold around his neck and felt Krogan's hands quaver - enough to loosen their chocking grip slightly - enough to rasp out a simple yet foreign word. "Pr-Pry-Pryjatan..."

The word had not yet fully left his lips when Viggo felt a tingling, hot sensation rush through his veins reaching from the top of his head down to the tips of his toes. His vision changed - instead of Krogan he saw a fireball coming straight for his face - he dodged and in the next instant shot forward and inserted his teeth into smooth, red scales. Hot anger flooded through his body and he tingled with electricity. As he felt all of this, Viggo grabbed harder at Krogan's wrists and - to his shock - the other man cried out and was sent backwards by an invisible force. He scrambled back on all fours a few feet away, staring at Viggo in shock and panting heavily.

Viggo pushed himself up, the strange sparking feeling still increasing. He coughed, his throat tender. When he found that he had air, he began to rise to his knees and from there back to his feet.

Or was he flying? Images of the red Singetail rushing towards him flashed before his eyes and he felt himself growl from deep within. What was happening to him?

Meanwhile Krogan had recovered from the electric blow and scrambled to his feet - picking up his sword and charged at Viggo. A foreign wave of strength, that was not his own, made Viggo rush forward and grab Krogan's sword arm with his bare hands, preventing him from bringing it down.

"What by Hel?!" Krogan shouted in disbelief. "How can you even..."

He didn't get to finish. Krogan's eyes widened in shock as he stumbled forward, almost into Viggo's arms. His free hand went to his stomach and came back up covered in blood.

Viggo followed Krogan's movement, then lifted his gaze. Eira stood only a few feet away, Krogan's crossbow in her hands.

The leader of the Flyers made a gurgling sound, coughing up blood as Eira reloaded and fired a second time. It sounded as though the arrow had found a lung. His sword fell to the ground with a low clank. Krogan dropped to his knees, stared up at Viggo with cold and angry eyes before he fell to his side, dying.

Viggo let his arms drop to his sides. This fight was won. He looked up and found Eira on her knees, her face a grimace of pain - an arrow sticking out of her shoulder. She lifted her gaze to his when he knelt down beside her. "Thank you." she said, very softly while she clutched at her wound with her other hand. Blood soaked through her tunic and armor.

"You're wounded..." Viggo muttered, shaking his head while images of Fulgur fighting the Singetail still flooded his mind. "...you need to get back on your ship."

Eira chuckled, but it sounded weak. "That's nothing...just a scratch...I can still fight..."

Viggo wanted to protest but a bloodcurdling screech pounded right into his head as he saw the red Singetail falling from the sky and onto one of Drago's ships. It was not dead but badly wounded. Fulgur roared in triumph and came down to land next to Viggo and Eira. The Skrill tilted his head and the intensity of his gaze sent a tremble through Viggo. It was as if he and Fulgur were connected. But that would mean...could Magnus' words be true after all?

Eira noticed movement on the Flagship. A familiar black dragon was shooting down towards the warlord. "Viggo..." she gritted out. "...you must go." She gestured to the Flagship with a movement of her head. Viggo followed her gaze and realized that she was right.

"But you..." he began, only to be interrupted again.

"Don't worry about me...I don't intend to die today or anytime soon..." she insisted with that special glimmer in her eyes that was all Eira. "Bad grass never dies...isn't that what they say?"

Viggo smiled at that and nodded. He stood and walked over to his dragon. The tingling in his body got stronger as he touched Fulgur's scales. He never felt anything like it before, it was overwhelming and although his connection with Fulgur freed him of his own pain, there was something strange in the way his limbs began to feel...somehow they felt...sluggish...

There was no time to think about it though. Viggo mounted and with a determined growl, Fulgur took off into the air.   
  
  


The water was so cold it stung. Lilly held onto the Bewilderbeast's tusk for dear life as the dragon took her down, deeper and deeper. She had no idea what impact calling the Bewilderbeast by his true name would have - she just acted on instinct and followed Hammond's command. But now she felt it.

Lilly could feel the power within her and it was truly terrifying, a rage and a riot, a thunderstorm in her head, so violent it made her head ache as if someone was trying hammer through her skull from the inside. Although the water was getting darker, Lilly had no problem to take in her surroundings.

How strange.

The Bewilderbeast swirled around viciously in an attempt to shake her off of his tusk as well as out of his mind.

_"You stupid girl! How dare you?! How dare you call me that?!"_ Undegon roared in fury and Lilly would have groaned in pain hadn't she been under water.

She was used to hear dragons in her mind, but this was different. She was not only hearing the words, but felt the Bewilderbeast's fury as if it was her own. Her whole body shuddered at the pure violence of it. It was as if she could see through the dragon's eyes, feel what the dragon was feeling. It was like the dragon's and her mind were mingled together in a sensation that was almost unbearable.

She _was_ the Bewilderbeast.

_"Do you think you can control me!?_ _Convince me that dragons can live in peace with humans?!"_ the Bewilderbeast's voice boomed in Lilly's mind so hard that she feared she might faint. "_Foolish girl! Stupid human! The humans do with us as they please...cold and cruel that's what they are!"_

Lilly lost her grip on the tusk and was thrown backwards by swirling, icy water. She struggled to swim but the vortex the big dragon created was too strong and threatened to drag her downwards. Lilly quickly reached her hands out and got a grip onto the chain attached to the dragon's tusk. If it was out of fate or pure luck, she did not know. Her stomach churned in hot anger that was both her own and Undegon's.

_"You're wrong! The only one who's cruel is you! You follow Drago's every command like a mindless puppet! Shadow was my friend and you killed her!"_

Undegon laughed. It was a cold and cruel laugh that made the blood in Lilly's veins run cold. _"You think dragons and humans can be friends, huh? Well since you're invading my mind...let me show you what it really means to call me by my true name!" _

The pain in Lilly's head increased, white lights danced across her vision and when she opened her mouth into a silent scream, she knew she was dead. It was pain beyond imagining - beyond endurance. She was gone from the sea, gone from her body and thrown into a cold and empty room. A chain clattered across the stone floor as Lilly moved her head and when she looked down she noticed in horror that instead of her hands, she found tiny claws. Lilly let out heavy pants, sending dust of faint white snow into the air. She was locked in the coils of a small creature with icy blue eyes, so tightly bound that Lilly did not know where her body ended and the creature's began. They were fused together, bound by a power Lilly did not comprehend and there was no escape.

The door to the room opened and Lilly felt the creature's - no her own - heartbeat speed up in excitement. Footsteps were coming closer. Lilly looked up to find a man stepping up to her. She made a purring sound, crawling closer to the man. Finally she wasn't alone anymore, finally someone came to play with her! This man was the first face she laid eyes upon when she hatched and he surely would take care of her. But why didn't he look happy? Did he not feel her excitement? Did he not feel her happiness that he finally came? It was boring to be alone all the time. She gave another purr, trying to let the man know just how glad she was to see him, when suddenly a flash of pain shot through her body as she took a hard kick to her side. Lilly's heart broke into pieces. She whimpered, looked up at the man in fear and confusion only to be kicked again. "Useless beast, you're only allowed to approach me if I tell you to do so." he chastised as he stared down at her. His eyes were dark and cold.

Then the vision changed. Lilly had grown quickly and was now chained to the walls of a huge cave. This place was the center of her miserable existence. Not once had she been allowed to swim around freely. Lilly opened her tired eyes as she heard footsteps approaching. It was her master and he brought a bunch of captured dragons with him. Her heart clenched in fear. She knew what was to come now...and she knew what would happen if she failed. Numerous scars on her body spoke volumes of what methods her master considered appropriate to _train_ dragons. Then her master yelled orders, told her to take control over the dragons in front of her. The first time she failed to keep them under control for very long. A searing pain made her cry out in agony. She failed and so she got punished. Down and down the whip came until finally she succeeded. All happiness had vanished from Lilly's soul, she knew the world was a dark place and that humans were cruel. Dragons were meant to serve. Her master was pleased when she succeeded and if he was pleased then so was she. From now on she would control dragons, bend them to her will like her master bent her to his.

"_STOP_!" Lilly's mind cried out through her pain, fighting against the choking grasp on her whole being with all the defiance she could muster and as she did so, the coils of the creature began to loosen. "_You pitiful creature...what have you become?! " _She didn't know how she managed to form even a single word through the drumming in her head but they came anyway. _"What Drago did to you was wrong and evil...but you don't have to be evil as well...you can stop this!" _

"_NEVER_!" Undegon boomed. _"Drago will rule this world as its dragon god! And no dragon will dare to refuse obeying to my commands - not even you! Now be a witness of my power!" _

With that the Bewilderbeast shot upwards to the surface, dragging Lilly with him.  
  
  


Hiccup barely had time to register what was happening, but one second he was urging Toothless on to go after Lilly and the next he found himself face to face with Drago himself as Toothless landed a few feet away from the warlord and growled threateningly.

Drago was outraged. "YOU STUPID BEAST! GET BACK UP!" he screamed, as if his Bewilderbeast could hear him. Then his eyes fell on Hiccup and Toothless and for the first time, the hint of fear flickered across the warlord's scarred features. He, however, regained himself quickly and pointed his bull-hook at Hiccup.

"Well it looks like Krogan cannot fulfill the simplest command...I must kill you myself then, dragon master." Drago snarled.

Toothless growled louder at this, took a step forward and Drago's eyes widened as he backed away slightly. Now it was Hiccup who felt fury rise in his stomach. He shook his head as he straightened on Toothless' back as far as his wounds allowed him to.

"Give up now, Drago! There was enough bloodshed...it doesn't have to end this way!" he tried to convince the warlord. Despite all of Drago's crimes, he was still too good at heart and if further killing could be avoided, then Hiccup had to try.

"NEVER!" Drago yelled and Hiccup felt his heart grow heavy - it seemed that all words were at a loss when it came to Drago Bludvist.

Drago's nostrils flared dangerously as he considered his next move and Hiccup watched a large group of his men coming to their master's help. It didn't take long and several bows were loaded and directed at Toothless, ready to fire if the dragon dared to all but flinch. Hiccup could feel Toothless tremble in fury as he growled once more and startled when the sound was echoed from behind.

Hiccup spun around and his eyes widened as he saw the black dragon land right at their side. He roared, baring razor sharp teeth and a shudder went through Drago's men. The black dragon wasn't the only one. There was another roar and within the blink of an eye, Snotlout and Hookfang were at Toothless' other side, followed by Fishlegs on Meatlug and then Astrid, who clutched a hand to her side as she rode on Stormfly. Hiccup frowned as his eyes fell on the foreign man who sat right behind her. _Who's this?_ But that was something he could wonder about later.

Even the twins joined their side, without dragon but no less determined. A spark of hope rushed through Hiccup. They were all together now. He and his gang - who could stand against them?

Drago ground his teeth together in anger. This was not going as planned. Where was his stupid beast when he needed it? But whatever was about to happen now, he would not give in. He raised his bull-hook, ready to signal his men to fire when another screech split the air. A wave of gasps went through the crowd and some of his men threw their bows to the ground and backed away in fear as Grimborn joined the line of dragon riders on the back of a Skrill.

"COWARDS!" Drago bellowed. "You will go nowhere!"

His men stopped in their tracks, eyes wide in fear as they weighed what would be worse. The anger of their master or facing a horde of dragons and their riders.

Viggo, still filled with Fulgur's strength, jumped off the Skrill's back and strode towards Drago at a quick pace.

"This ends now!" he spoke to Drago and his men alike. "The leader of your Flyers is dead! Your ships are burning and your Bewilderbeast is gone! You'll never win this battle, Drago!"

Drago huffed and Viggo could see a fat vein pulsing at his temple when suddenly the surface of the sea started to bubble, swirling up the water and sending big waves crashing onto the ship.

A small, triumphant smile spread on Drago's face. "Is that so, Grimborn?"

Viggo had just a second to turn around before the giant Bewilderbeast broke the surface with a booming roar - sending cold ocean spray raining down onto them. But it was not the only thing that was catapulted in the air.

He gasped in utter shock as he saw his sister being shot up in the air like a doll - flailing her arms and screaming.

"LILLY!" Viggo screamed on top of his lungs as he headed back to Fulgur. He needed to catch her! But before he could take off, a black spot flashed before his eyes as Toothless took off and torpedoed through the sky.


	93. Chapter 92 - Not a slave part 2

**3rd Person POV**

Lilly didn't know how she found the voice to scream. All she knew was that she was soaring higher and higher before she started to fall to what would surely be her death. The air around her was freezing, it stung like a thousand needles. For a second she wondered how it must feel to crash onto the hard ocean surface...when suddenly someone grabbed her around her shoulders.

Lilly stared up, not trusting what her eyes were seeing. A dark dragon, so familiar...but yet her connection with the Bewilderbeast prevented her from recognizing who it was. It was as if a fog covered her eyes. She made a growling sound, when suddenly a face appeared from the dragon's back and Lilly's heart pounded faster. She new this person...or did she?

She shook her head, tried to fight the hammering pain in her head and for a second she succeeded. Hiccup! It was Hiccup who came to rescue her!

Lilly wanted to say something, to thank him and Toothless but the way Hiccup stared at her with wide, shocked eyes made her forget that she could speak at all. Why was he looking at her like that?

It soon became clear when the pain in Lilly's head increased as the Bewilderbeast's voice echoed in her mind. But that wasn't the worst part.

Undegon and Lilly were fused so tightly together that when he spoke up, Lilly felt her own jaw move as the Bewilderbeast used her to speak in fluent dragon tongue.

_"No one refuses my command!" _   
  


Hiccup's heart raced in horror as he stared down at Lilly - something was terribly wrong. He was used to be met by her kind, ocean blue eyes that alway seemed to hold a sparkle but what he witnessed now wasn't even close to that. In place of her beautiful eyes, he saw two evil looking, icy ones and a pupil that was as thin as a slit. What made it worse was that Lilly suddenly started to thrash about in Toothless' grip, so hard that the Night Fury had trouble to keep his hold on her. It was like she was having a fit...as if she was possessed by something.

But the true horror began the moment Lilly opened her mouth. She shouted loudly in a foreign language, that sounded like a mix of horrid growls and screeches and her jaw moved in an unnatural way as if it wasn't Lilly's will to speak at all.

_"I am your Alpha! Come to me!_" she screeched and Hiccup gasped in terror as a steady hum filled the air. Suddenly it hit him, but that couldn't be possible, or could it?

Down on the ship, his friends were thrown off their dragon's backs and one by one the dragons took off into the air, circling the Bewilderbeast's head.

The giant dragon was forcing them under his will.

It was only a matter of time till Toothless started to feel the Bewilderbeast's calling too. He shook his head violently in a vain attempt to resist while he struggled to keep Lilly from falling. Hiccup's heart pounded so hard against his ribcage that it hurt. He knew that he had to act - now.

He bent forward and stroked one hand over Toothless' head. "No, no, you gotta block him out, bud! He is not getting you a second time! Do you trust me?"

Toothless made a sound of agreement, but it sounded strained. 

"Let's bring Lilly down! We need to break the Bewilderbeast's influence on her. Just close your eyes, bud. I'll take the lead."

With another purr of agreement Toothless closed his eyes while Hiccup brought his hands up to cover Toothless' ears. He was completely depending on Hiccup now, but Toothless trusted his human with his life - together they could do this.   
  


Viggo staggered and fell to his knees with a pained groan. His connection with Fulgur forced him to feel the Bewilderbeast's calling - it tugged at his brain and had him clutch at his head as his dragon left his side.

He tried to get to his feet but his legs felt wobbly - instead of feeling Fulgur's strength, he was now experiencing the exhausting side-effects Magnus' warned him about when being connected to a dragon. Oh gods, he just wanted it to stop!

But then it suddenly was - first there was a deep growl echoing in Viggo's head an then his vision cleared and the feeling of Fulgur's emotions was gone. If the Bewilderbeast was the cause for their breaking bond, Viggo did not know. All he knew was that the full pain of his own wounds hit him with even greater force than before and that had him stagger and groan, when he noticed movement behind his back.

Viggo turned and found Toothless dropping Lilly onto the ship close to the silver dragon, who was still unable to fly. She landed flat on her back, but seemed to be otherwise unharmed. He wanted to sigh in relief, but it got stuck in his throat when he saw his sister roll around to her hands and knees, her eyes turned to thin slits and her face contorted in a painful grimace.

"My gods...Lilly!" Viggo cried out in utter shock. He tried to rush over to her on wobbly legs, but was stopped by a group of Drago's warriors_, _who pointed their weapons at him and the dragon riders. Apparently the Bewilderbeast's return had renewed their courage.

"She's not yours anymore, Grimborn." Drago chuckled darkly as he watched Lilly writhe and groan under the Bewilderbeast's influence. He closed the distance between them at a quick pace and forced Lilly to her feet by her hair.

Bile rose in Viggo's throat as he had to watch this and he clenched his fists hard as he frantically thought about a way out of this. Out of instinct he took a step forward to get to his sister but that only had him press into the tip of a spear.

"No dragon resists my Alpha..." Drago sneered in triumph and the way he let his eyes run over Lilly made Viggo growl in rage. "...not even if they look very human."

"Uh... I wouldn't be so sure about that." Tuffnut commented dryly, his eyes turned upwards to the sky. Viggo turned to the blond rider in confusion, then followed his gaze and his eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" Drago bellowed in outrage as he watched a black spot dart towards his Bewilderbeast.   
  


"I'll come back for you Lilly, I promise." Hiccup muttered to ease the guilt in his heart as Toothless took a speed dive towards the Bewilderbeast. "We need to distract the Alpha, bud. So he loses control over the dragons...let's try this one more time!"

Toothless warbled in affirmation, but kept his eyes closed as Hiccup led them towards the giant dragon.

"What by Thor?!" Hiccup gave a surprised yell just as they got closer and that had Toothless' eyes snap open. What he saw then made him growl in outrage.

Only a few wing-beats away, little Hope was flying right in front of the Bewilderbeast's face. She tried to roar to threaten the beast, but it sounded more like a squeak. The giant dragon huffed and puffed in anger as he tried to get rid of the reckless little Night Fury. Toothless watched how icy mist built up in his mouth.

_Oh no, you are not going to hurt her too!_ Toothless thought as he sped up and within a second was at Hope's side with a furious roar. 

"Show him what you got, bud!" Hiccup yelled, trying his best not to fall out of the saddle and Toothless fired.

And he was not the only one.

Fighting against the Bewilderbeast's influence, the black dragon flung himself against the dragon's head with all the might he could muster.   
  


_"Fire as much as you want! You'll never win against me! I am your Alpha! I am your ruler!" _

In her blinding agony, Lilly felt the Bewilderbeast use her voice again. She writhed and struggled against Drago's hold, every part of her body screaming for release, but found none. There was no winning against a dragon as mighty as Undegon.

_"Stop! Please...please stop..."_ she pleaded weakly through the pain but the Bewilderbeast only chuckled.

_"Why would I, dragon girl? Is my power too much for you? You're a weakling and now you shall learn your lesson - you'll never be better than me!"_

The pain increased and Lilly sobbed, a sudden hopelessness filling her soul as Undegon continued his assaults on her mind.

_"There is no such thing as friendship between dragons and humans, I'm going to prove it once and for all!" _

Lilly's heart clenched, the Bewilderbeast's feelings were her own feelings. It was true...there was no such friendship...every dragon who thought otherwise deserved to be punished. Lilly didn't know it, but by then she had started trembling so violently that even Drago had his troubles to keep her standing. Everyone's eyes were on her.

"_Lilly_."

There was another voice calling through the shadows that clouded her mind. Not loud and yelling like Undegon's, but gentle and calm like a warm summer breeze.

"_Lilly_." the voice said again, stronger now and Lilly thought she could see something silver glitter through the fog before her eyes. _"I know how you feel...but this is not you...you are not him."_

Lilly groaned, arched her neck painfully backwards as another wave of rage, that was not her own, hit her.

The voice came again, more strained this time as if it was fighting a battle of its own. _"Lilly...ñuha riña (my child), I cannot withstand his calling forever...you need to fight back! You can do it...I believe in you...and Shadow believed in you."_

_Shadow_.

Lilly's eyes went wide and she somehow made herself turn her head to the side.

_Shadow_.

There she was. A lifeless, black form lying on cold and hard wooden planks.

_Shadow_.

Another power sprang to life within Lilly's body. Her aching heart picked up its beating as a strange warmth started to spread from her chest up to her head - fighting the Bewilderbeast's spirit within her. And right then, she knew what she had to do.

Drago's triumphant smirk made way to a confused frown as Lilly went perfectly still in his grip.

_"You're wrong Undegon..._" she finally managed to utter in her mind and the raging storm of the Bewilderbeast's anger came to an abrupt halt.

"_What_?" he boomed.

_"You think a dragon is only meant to be a slave...but you're wrong...I...I can show you_..." Lilly's voice was barely more than a whisper. The warm sensation grew stronger as her eyes lingered on her fallen friend and before Undegon could retort, she closed her eyes and succumbed to the memories that came straight from her heart.

_...Warm sand tickled beneath Lilly's toes as she opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of big, blue ones. She cried out, startled and the foreign black dragon backed away too. For several heartbeats they both just sat there and stared at each other. Lilly tilted her head. This dragon didn't look evil at all. Slowly she reached a small hand out and she felt her heart racing in her chest as the Night Fury came closer, sniffed at her fingers and then her smooth scales touched Lilly's skin. The dragon closed her eyes as Lilly started to explore her face in childlike curiosity. She sneezed when Lilly accidentally tickled her nose and Lilly giggled._

_The memory changed to a warm sunset on her island. There was a fire burning and Lilly was dancing around on the beach, singing to herself. She laughed when Shadow joined her, standing up on her hind legs and tried to imitate Lilly's movements - tongue hanging from her mouth as she gave Lilly a gummy smile. It looked utterly funny. "Silly dragon." Lilly giggled and it didn't take long till they both were rolling around in the sand - laughing until their stomachs hurt. _

_Then Lilly was under water - waiting. Shadow's face appeared above the surface, sniffing around and truly worried. She didn't expect Lilly to stay beneath the water for that long. Very carefully she crawled closer, she didn't want to get wet after all. Shadow hated water. One step, just one more...now! Lilly pushed herself up just as Shadow's face was right above her and spit a load of water right into the Night Fury's face. Shadow jumped backwards and yelped. Lilly burst out laughing as her best friend shook herself in disgust and gave her a very annoyed look before she turned her back on her and began to lick herself dry. "Oh are you pouting now?" she laughed as she attempted to get out of the water, but just as she was about to climb out of the lake, Shadow turned and sent Lilly back into the water with a big splash. Lilly came back up with her hair hanging in front of her face. Now it was Shadow's turn to laugh._

_It was night. Lilly shivered as she lay in her nest, wrapping her arms around her body to warm herself. Her attempts were not very successful. Finally, Lilly felt two strong, black legs close around her waist as Shadow pulled her close and wrapped her up under her wing. "I love you Shadow." Lilly whispered as she drifted off to sleep, now feeling cozy and warm and Shadow purred. "I love you too, my little human."..._

Lilly's heart filled with emotion. A single tear ran down her cheek and dropped onto the wooden planks. She would never hear Shadow's voice again.

_"What are you doing to me? Why do you make me feel like this?"_ the Bewilderbeast roared, but there was a hint of fear in his voice as he was forced to witness Lilly's memories.

Up in the sky, Toothless and the black dragon kept up their attacks. Undegon twisted his giant head, roared in frustration as he felt his concentration crumble away. Slowly, but steadily his control over the other dragons weakened.

_"Shadow was a free dragon...I loved her and she loved me...and now she's dead...but not because she had to, but because she chose to...it was her free will to save my brother."_

Lilly's voice was like an arrow to the Bewilderbeast's heart, but he was too stubborn to give up.

_"You tell nothing but lies! A dragon is meant to serve! Humans don't care for us!"_ he boomed.

_"No...that is the lie...Drago's twisted, little lie...he misused you when you were nothing more than a child...and I feel sorry for you...if you only knew love..."_ Lilly sighed out and all of a sudden the pain was gone. She blinked once, then twice and her vision cleared. Her eyes turned back to normal as the Bewilderbeast's spirit fled from her body as if he got burned. Lilly panted heavily and if it wasn't for Drago holding her up, she surely would have collapsed onto the floor. She felt as though Undegon had sucked all of her strength out of her body.  
  


Undegon's eyes went wide as he felt his heart break to pieces. Lilly's words echoed in his head. He couldn't keep this fight up anymore. He growled as yet another little plasma blast of the baby Night Fury hit him but instead of fighting back, he closed his eyes - losing his control over the dragons.

_He had never known love..._

One by one they shook out of their trance and joined Toothless' side, ready to fire at Undegon as well.  
  


Drago's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? TAKE CONTROL OF THEM!" he bellowed in his fury, sending drops of saliva into the cold air. Then his gaze fell on Lilly, who was trembling violently in his grasp.

The warlord growled when he noticed her dragon-like eyes were gone and tightened his grip on her scalp. "You stupid girl! What did you do?!"

Lilly winced at the pressure Drago put on her hair. His face was so close to hers that she could smell his foul breath, but her heart filled with defiance.

"Y-you'll ne-never control dr-dragons..." she rasped out, her voice sounded weak and her throat felt sore. Then a pained groan left her mouth as Drago's hand moved down around the back of her throat, above the neck cuff, in a squeezing grip. Not choking her completely, but enough to lessen the flow of air and make her fill dizzy.

"I will!" he yelled, his scarred face flushed red in anger. "You will not refuse me!" Dragging Lilly with him, Drago stomped to the ships railing and shouted at Undegon. "AND YOU WILL NOT REFUSE ME EITHER! ATTACK! YOU FUCKING BEAST!"

Undegon's eyes snapped back open and he found himself face to face with a horde of determined looking dragons. His heart was heavy, but he still feared Drago more than anyone else. And so - with a loud roar - he tried to take control over the dragons one more time.

Toothless mimicked the sound and put all of his strength into his last plasma blast. He would put an end to it now - make sure that the Bewilderbeast would never hurt another dragon or human again. 

Undegon brawled pitifully when the full force of Toothless's shot hit his right tusk and to his utter horror it broke off and crashed into the sea with a loud splash.

"_This ends now!_" growled Toothless' "_You will never hurt a dragon or a human again!"_

The Bewilderbeast's stared back at the Night Fury in shock and defeat. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. _"Wh-why are you protecting them...?_" The words slipped from Undegon's tongue without his consent. But he just needed to know.

Toothless huffed. "_Because these people are my friends and I love them. If my human asked me to, I would happily die for him. Something you will never know or understand."_  
  


Everyone's eyes were directed at the scene above them and Viggo used that distraction to his advantage. With a sudden move, his fist collided with the jaw of Drago's warrior and while he stumbled backwards, Viggo got ahold of the man's spear.

They were struggling for several seconds but then Viggo managed to get the upper hand. He head-butted the brown-haired man, who staggered and landed flat on his back. Now it was for Viggo to end things and he did – running the man's own spear right through his chest.

Viggo's chest heaved and he had to close his eyes for a moment to prevent himself from toppling over. His limbs felt like jelly – but he had no time to rest yet. He needed to get to his sister.

Drago's men as well as the dragon riders shook back to reality as they noticed Viggo's attack and within a heartbeat, they found themselves in a fierce fight once again.  
  


On the water, Undegon bowed his head in defeat - he always thought that he was the most powerful dragon of all. That he alone was worthy to be king of dragon kind and that Drago was the only one who had the right to rule over dragons as their god. But now he realized that he was wrong...that he had been used and fooled through all his years. To Drago he was nothing but a beast, a means to and end at best. Hot fury mingled with the sadness in his heart at that realization. 

"NO!" Drago roared as he watched his Bewilderbeast bow his head to the Night Fury. How could his one and only weapon to control dragons give in that easily? "DO SOMETHING! FIGHT BACK! DESTROY THEM!"

But Undegon didn't fight back. He turned his head towards the enraged warlord and his nostrils flared dangerously.

The whole battle came to a halt as Drago's men realized the Bewilderbeast was not fighting anymore. Hiccup sensed his chance and had Toothless bring them down.

"It's over, Drago!" he said in a stern tone as Toothless landed in front of the warlord and Hiccup let himself slip out of the saddle. He grimaced as his wounds were stretched but gave his best to keep his voice even through the pain. "Even your Bewilderbeast has enough."

Viggo was at Hiccup's side in a heartbeat, pointed the spear he took from the warrior at Drago as he demanded: "Let her go! And I shall consider to show you the mercy of a quick death." 

Lilly's heart hammered fast in her chest as she struggled to get Drago's fingers off of her neck, but it was pointless. Her eyes moved rapidly between Hiccup and Viggo as she heard Drago huff in his rage, his fingers around her neck trembling. "It is not over! And I won't let her go! She is mine - my slave! She will obey me and only me...as will you!" His last words were directed at Undegon. "I'll show you what it means to disobey your master!"

Drago yelled in a foreign language to a group of his men, who quickly fulfilled their master's command and headed to the nearest Ballista - aiming it at the Bewilderbeast's head.

_Oh gods, no.._.

Lilly's breath hitched in terror as Drago threatened Undegon. "Attack them, or I let them fire!"

"No, don't!" she ragged out, but Drago only chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I? A slave has to obey his master...he is mine as are you, little dragon. You better get used to it." he sneered as he pressed her closer to his body - it was obvious that he was using her as a living shield. Neither Hiccup nor Viggo would attack if they would risk to harm her and Drago knew that.

Lilly's stomach revolted at Drago's arrogant words. She hated this man. She hated him like she never hated anyone before. He was responsible for everything...all the deaths...all the pain...

She noticed Viggo's lips moving as he yelled threats at Drago, but she could hear none of it. Out of the corner of her eyes she had spotted something. An object, hanging from Drago's belt. And right then a reckless idea formed in her head. There would be no second chance if she failed.

Hiccup growled from where he stood as he struggled to stay on his feet, holding on to Toothless' for support. There was no way out of it...they had to kill Drago. If he could only distract him to let go of Lilly, then...

His thoughts fumbled when his gaze fell on Lilly and Drago again.

At first glance it looked like she was leaning back against Drago for support but then he noticed that something was off. Lilly's hands were low - waist high to be exact - and moving behind Drago's back as if searching for something. Then her right hand curled around something and drew it from its sheath. Drago was too distracted yelling at Viggo to notice anything.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed in confusion. What happened next was too fast for even him to wrap his mind about.

Lilly drew Drago's long dagger from his belt and weighed it in her hand for a moment. Her heart was drumming in her ears and her breath came in uneven pants. She prayed to all the gods that Drago wouldn't shift now. Just one look down from him and he would catch her.

Undegon growled under his breath and Lilly could sense his hate against his master. Carefully she took the dagger into her other hand, blade pointing down.

"_Do it._" Undegon's voice echoed in her mind and taking up all her courage, Lilly spoke.

"No." she said firmly and Drago snapped his head around to face her.

"What?" he bellowed, confused.

Lilly lifted her chin in defiance, made herself meet Drago's dark gaze. "No...I will not get used to it." she hissed, brought her hand up...

...and rammed the sharp blade into the warlord's flesh right above his collarbone as fast and as hard as she could - burying it hilt deep.

Drago jerked back in surprise, let go off Lilly's neck but she held on tight. With a cry of savage rage and sudden bloodlust, she yanked the blade out and stabbed again, this time higher and twisting the blade for maximum damage. Drips of blood splattered across Lilly's face.

The warlord stared at her with wide eyes, his face frozen in absolute horror as Lilly pulled the blade out once more.

Drago gurgled, blood spilling over his lips. He touched his bleeding wound, understanding dawning on him as he dropped to his knees. There was no repairing the damage. He was bleeding to death. In utter disbelief, he stared up at Lilly who panted heavily - her eyes wide and her lips curled back like a dragon. "Y-you...h-how..." he chocked out, as he clutched at his wound in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. 

Lilly's body straightened as yet another wave of white hot fury leaped through her. 

"I am _not_ a dragon...and I will_ never _be yours!" Lilly cried out, her voice shaky as she fought against the tears building up behind her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just done... that she actually managed to. Her hands were covered in blood and she still held the dagger protectively in front of her.

"My name is Lillian Grimborn!" she was practically yelling now, her eyes holding a dangerous sparkle. "And I want you to know this before you die...a dragon will never be a slave!" 

The silver dragon hummed in the distance and something brushed Lilly's mind.

Drago choked - his eyes wide in horrified realization. 

Lilly's breath came in rapid pants - there was one more thing. With a quick movement, she turned to face Undegon. His eyes were filled with anger and pain. 

Their eyes met and with short nod towards the Bewilderbeast, she yelled. "Perzys!"(Fire!)

Then she jumped to the side as fast as she could.

A furious roar rumbled deep from Undegon's chest as he raised his head high and let out his icy breath in a violent blow.

Drago had only a second to shout in fear before he found himself engulfed in masses of solid ice. 

Viggo cried out as the Bewilderbeast's blast had him flying backwards and land hard on his back - knocking all air from his lungs. Icy snowflakes rained down onto the ship and for several moments he found himself unable to move.

But then the icy fog lifted and Viggo pushed himself up to his knees as fast as he could.

"Lilly..." he breathed, his eyes searching desperately for his little sister. He scrambled to his feet, staggered over the ship's deck.

There, only a few feet away, stood the frozen form of Drago Bludvist. It was truly a horrific sight - his mouth agape and eyes wide. Never to see again.

The battle had stopped and what remained of Drago's army stood in utter shock at their leader's death. Most of them had believed that Drago was indeed like a god - unbeatable but now their leader was gone. It didn't take long for the first men to drop their weapons in defeat. Viggo's and Robert's soldiers took care to put them in chains.

"Lilly!" Viggo called out once more, but when no one answered, he felt himself grow desperate. Where could she be?

Viggo let his gaze wander around. Hiccup was looking for her as well but soon found himself encircled by his friends, who worried over his wounds.

Then, finally, Viggo spotted her. "Lilly!" he gasped as he rushed over to his sister. She was lying curled up on the wooden planks next to Shadow, shivering as though she lay on ice and not on wood. Of course she would seek her dragon's side.

Viggo dropped to his knees beside her, reached out to touch Lilly's shoulder. "Lilly...Lilly, look at me!" He shook her gently, but she didn't move.

"Lilly! Please...it's me little flower...look at me..." he pleaded, his voice shaking as his desperation grew. He wanted to say something else but just then, Lilly moved. Every so slowly she turned on her back, Drago's dagger still clenched tightly in her hand. She opened her eyes and stared up at the sky with a blank expression.

It broke Viggo's heart to see her like this. Her face and hands were stained with Drago's blood and the red color stood out brightly from her pale skin. Tears stung in Viggo's eyes as he leaned forward and took Lilly's dagger holding hand in his. One by one he lifted her fingers until she let go and he threw the weapon aside. During all of this she was awfully quiet and she didn't move.

Viggo couldn't stand it anymore. "It's over Lilly...it's done...please say something...anything..." he whispered as he cradled her head, searching her eyes for any sign of emotion. His lips quivered as the first tears threatened to fall.

Lilly closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was staring straight into Viggo's dark ones. A tiny tear dripped from her eye as she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"I'll never wash this blood away..." she breathed and that had Viggo break. He made a strange sound as he sobbed and laughed at the same time and pulled Lilly higher up into his lap. He kissed at the top of her head, inhaling her scent in shaky breaths.

"Then I must." he whispered as he got to his feet, picking Lilly up with him as he did so. She lay limp in his arms. "I'll take you home."

Carefully he carried her to one of his ships, whispering words of assuranceas he pressed his nose to her temple.

"Everything will be alright...you will be safe, clean and bloodless again...and free." 

Was the last Lilly heard before she sunk into the world of darkness.**  
**


	94. Chapter 93 - Shattered

**Lilly's POV**

Darkness was thick beneath the ocean's surface, an unknowable world I had no choice but to enter as I sank deeper and deeper. 

I was paralyzed. My arms drifted useless at my sides, not listening to my commands no matter how hard I tried. The water was cold but I did not freeze. I was adrift, unable to navigate, sinking down into nothingness. 

Then my back touched the bottom of the sea and the water was gone. Instead I was lying on a bed of something thick and soft. Deep in the darkness, I'm deserted by all. There was only the sound of my breathing as I slowly got to my feet. It was so dark, I couldn't see a thing but the floor felt soft beneath my feet - like grass and the heavy scent of thousands of flowers hung in the air. Confused, I lifted my eyes, almost expecting to be met by a starry nightsky, but instead my eyes fell on swirling waves of the dark ocean. Faint moonlight made its way through the waters.

My heart started to beat faster and I instinctively wrapped my arms around me. Instead of fabric, I felt skin. I gasped when I noticed that I was utterly naked. _Where am I?_

There. A light in the distance. Sparkling like the colors of a rainbow. 

The sound of instruments and people singing. It sounded so joyful, so promising. I couldn't help it - I took a step forward. What a wonderful place this must be when it created such beautiful music. 

The sound made me feel completely at peace and I longed to go there, but my feet were heavy - unwilling and I groaned in frustration. _Come on! Move!_

Finally, I could see the light clearer and my eyes grew wide at its sight. It was a bridge - a bridge of light, glowing and glittering in every color one could think of. At the end of the bridge was a large, golden door decorated with the most beautiful ornaments. The door was open and I realized the music was coming from whatever lied beyond. An undeniable urge to get a look filled me and I let out an involuntary laugh. 

That's when they came. The dead. 

The one's I loved, even the one's I never knew appeared at the gate. They were calling me to join them, their words a luring promise of peace for my soul. And I wanted so badly. I wanted to just run up to them and throw myself into welcoming arms, but the weird feeling I noticed before was still present. It weighed my legs down, making them almost impossible to lift. It was like an invisible force clutched around my ankles - holding me back.

As I struggled to move, I caught eye of a grey haired man appearing between the group of people. A raven sat on each of his shoulders. Then a woman stepped forward to his side, a woman more beautiful than I had ever seen and her eyes fell on me. A shiver ran through my whole body as she whispered incoherent words to the one-eyed man, then she extended her arm. 

Before I could even register what was happening, a large, dark creature threw me to the ground, burying her claws in my chest and growling. _"No, Lilly! No! You don't belong here!"_

But my heart leaped at the sound of her voice. "_Shadow_..._oh Shadow please...let me stay."_

_"No! It's not your time to be here yet."_

_"But I want to be where you are._" A single tear dropped from my eye. 

Shadow nudged her head under my chin, lifting her claws off my chest. There was no brand there. _"I'm with you, my love. Always." _

I felt an ache in my throat and swallowed as I cupped Shadow's head in my hands. Before I could say something, another voice broke the silence...dull as if it came from far away.

"Lilly! Lilly!"

But such a gentle sound. Like a breeze through summer leaves, or sprinkling of cool water onto hot sand.

"Lilly!"

Comforting. Inviting. 

A pulling sensation spread from the top of my head down to my toes and before I could even think of my next words, Shadow took a few steps back. _"You have to go, Lilly." _

I sat up, gasping. "_No...please don't leave me again._" I pleaded but there was a strange part of me that longed to hear that gentle voice again. 

"Lillian Grimborn! Open your eyes, speak to me."

But the voice was so insistent. Not now. I had no time now. Shadow was moving backwards, I could not lose her again. Better not to listen. 

_"Shadow! Please stay!"_ I cried out in panic, but she was already starting to fade. The beautiful bridge disappeared in walls of white fog and soon I found myself surrounded by darkness again. My chest heaved and I tried to suck in air but felt like I couldn't breathe. 

"I know you can hear me. Come, open your eyes, little flower. Don't you remember how much darkness used to frighten you?"

I knew this voice. Or did I? It was all so far away. But then, all of a sudden, pain erupted into my whole body and I groaned at the pure agony of it. _Oh gods what is happening to me?_

I saw a faint light, a candle burning in the distance. Shadows were leaping like claws across the walls and floor, clutching at my blanket and coming closer. _  
_

_No no stay away, you don't get me...._ I pulled my hand back to save myself from them. From _him_. Drago was trying to get me again. 

"No. That won't help. You must open your eyes. Come on, I know you can do it."

The air was dim, thick and hot, somewhere between day and night. Slowly I turned my head and there he was, lying next to me on the bed, his dark eyes looking straight into mine.

"Viggo?" I rasped out, appalled at how raw my own voice sounded.

"Who else spent his childhood chasing monsters away for you?"

_Viggo? Can it really be him?_ A shiver ran through me, my whole body was coated in cold sweat, leaving me freezing despite the fire that burned in the hearth and heated up the room. My brain felt like mush as I tried hard to remember what happened...I was so confused...but finally the images came back...the battle...Drago...and...

I started to panic. What if they were gone?

"Hiccup? Where's Hiccup? And Ryker. Have you brought Ryker? Oh I want to see him and grandfather...don' let them fly away..." I croaked out, but Viggo only stared down at me in confusion.

"She's talking in delirium." 

Another voice came from somewhere across the room and I wanted to shout that I was not...but the effort was too much. I felt boneless and tired...still so tired. Consciousness threatened to slip away from me again.

"No, no, don't close your eyes again. Keep looking at me. Feel my hand in yours, yes that's right. Do I squeeze too tight? Then open your eyes and I will stop. Come...speak to me again little flower. Say it. Say my name." 

So much anger and cruelty, so many bodies. Who would believe the tenderness in his voice?

"Viggo." I whispered, forcing myself to open my eyes like he asked me to. I looked beyond him to see a room - my room, empty except for Viggo and Nanna who had her back turned to us, busying herself with something I couldn't make out. They had brought me home again. 

But it didn't feel like it. There was a terrible hollow inside of me, a dark hole where Shadow had been, where Shadow had vanished. _Oh why did I have to come back?_ My throat grew tight and I had to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. If I allowed myself to cry now, I was sure that I would never be able to stop again. So instead I struggled to move my other hand under the blanket, slowly brought it up to my heart only to feel scabbed flesh. The brand. It was still there. 

I whimpered in despair at the foreign feeling of it. My breath hitched. It was like I could feel Drago's hands on me all over again - hear his dark voice echoing through my head as he whispered into my ear. _"You will never be free of me." _

"Lilly, what is it?" Viggo's voice was filled with concern. 

I shook my head, unable to form words, so I just tapped at my chest while my breaths were coming too quickly. My chest was aching with it, emotions roiling within me so quickly and violently that I didn't know what they were. I tried to calm down, to stop this, but I couldn't. It almost felt like I couldn't breathe at all.

"Lilly? Lilly, what's happening - tell me!" There was fear in my brother's voice as he shared a look with Nanna. She had left her place at my dressing table and was now standing at the foot of my bed. "Nanna, what's wrong with her?"

"I...I...I...can't..." I didn't understand. Why could I not breathe? I was safe, Drago was dead and no one had hurt me. 

"She's panicking. She could as well still be hallucinating...an aftereffect of the fever." Nanna stated in the calm voice of hers. 

_Fever? What fever? How long did I sleep?_

Viggo gripped my hand tighter, I felt his fingers brushing across my cheek. "It's okay...you're okay. Just breathe. I've got you." 

I wanted to. I really did, but instead I was left gasping for air, feeling like I might faint. There was movement beside me and suddenly I felt a pair of different hands cupping my face and I found myself staring into Nanna's gentle eyes. 

"Lilly I want you to listen closely now. It would be wrong of me to tell you that I know how you feel and it would also be wrong of me to say that you are okay. Because you are not." 

Viggo huffed under his breath but didn't dare to say a word at the hard glance Nanna gave him before she continued. 

"There is no justification for the things that he did to you, but you put an end to it Lilly. You did. What you did means freedom for hundreds of dragons and that is quite something, isn't it? Now just think of them, how the sky is filled with their sounds of happiness, can you envision them flying across the ocean for me?" 

I closed my eyes, conjuring the very picture Nanna was painting for me and to my surprise it seemed to work. My breaths began to come back under my control and I was able to suck in deep breaths of air. Nanna hummed in approval, her hands leaving my face. "That's it."

"W-what happened?" I asked as soon as I could breathe evenly again.

"You passed out as soon as I took you back to our ship and wouldn't wake up, no matter what we tried. Magnus' told me that was expected to happen after the connection you shared with the Bewilderbeast, so we waited. But then your body fell into a fever and..." Viggo had to stop for a moment, his voice heavy with emotion. "...and that...right then I was scared. I feared I would lose you. You were already so far gone...it had been four days, but Nanna managed to lower your fever today. Thank the gods." 

_Four days? I had been out for four days? _A faint moan escaped my lips as I closed my eyes. Everything seemed so surreal to me, the connection I shared with Undegon centuries away and still I recalled every detail as clearly as if it happened just a few minutes ago. _I am still here...not allowed to die..._

"Lilly?" Viggo asked, carefully as if he feared I might panic again.

I wanted to speak, but my throat felt terribly dry. "I am...I am thirsty." 

He sat up and reached for a goblet. Then he was pulling me up, putting his hand behind my neck to support my head. Such a firm grip, as if he will never let go. I drank eagerly, the water cool and soothing on its way down to my stomach. Only when the goblet was empty did I lean back. Too much effort. "I have to sleep again."

"No. No. You have slept long enough. You must talk to me, don't close your eyes."

"All right." I murmured, but my eyes were already closing. 

"Lillian Grimborn!" I startled at my brother's raised voice. He had me in his arms and was shaking me now. "No more sleeping, do you hear me?" There was urgency now, even anger, in his voice. "Come - sit up with me. Nanna, can you let in some fresh air? It's way too stuffy in here."

Nanna gave a short nod as she got up to do as Viggo told her. The window opened and in came the early evening light and cool wafts of air. I took a deep breath, the cold air refreshing to my lungs. My eyes were still heavy, but I managed to keep them open now. The sound of a growling dragon drew to my ear and my heart beat faster at the sound.

"Can I see grandfather? And Ryker?" I uttered weakly.

Viggo sighed. "I fear that's not possible my dear, you must have been dreaming."

"No!" I exclaimed, my voice sounded a tad stronger than before. "No...I was not, they were both fighting with us..." 

Nanna frowned at me. "Oh dear. I think this conversation is better left to the chief. If you'll excuse me now. There are still a lot of wounds waiting for me that won't bandage themselves." She even chuckled a little. 

"Thank you, Nanna." Viggo mumbled as the healer left the room to take care of her other patients, then he turned his attention back to me. "Lilly...it's quite common that fever causes vivid dreams..." 

Anger started to boil in my stomach. Grinding my teeth together I forced myself into a straighter position. "It was _not_ a dream...I don't know how and I don't know why...but they are dragons now." 

Viggo raised a single brow at me and I could see he tried to fight back the urge to grin. It only added to the anger raging up within me. "Come now, Lilly...you want me to believe that our brother came back from the dead? Let alone as a dragon? You must admit that such a thing is impossible and having that said...Ryker would throw a fit if he was forced to live as a dragon." 

"It should also be impossible to get connected to a dragon by nothing more than saying a word!" I snapped back. "And he did." 

"What?" 

"Throw a fit. I think he very much hates to be a dragon...especially since he's blind too." 

Viggo's eyes widened in bewilderment. "Blind? Your not suggesting that..."

"Yes I am. He's the black dragon. Please tell me he and grandfather didn't leave?"

But it seemed my brother was beyond answering. He let his hand run over his beard and stared at the wall across from my bed with an expression I recognized he had whenever we played Maces and Talons. He was thinking. Hard. Probably trying to put the puzzle together. 

"Viggo?" 

He snapped out of his thoughts, brought his gaze back to meet my eyes. "When I got poisoned...I saw something in the fire...someone...a man that turned into a dragon and tried to devour me. I brushed it off as a side effect of the poison but now I have my doubts."

"So you do believe me?" 

"I don't know." he admitted, looking guilty. "Please forgive me, little flower. I was never the man to believe in miracles of that sort. I would need proof." 

"I can prove it...just let me see them." I pleaded, but had to lay back down as my strength threatened to leave me again. 

Viggo shook his head. "You are in no condition to get up yet."

"But I..." I tried to protest, but Viggo interrupted me.

"No, Lilly. You stay in bed and that is my last word." His voice had taken on a stern tone. 

I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment, but then an idea hit me. "Fine." I shot back and closed my eyes - reaching out my mind.

"Lilly, you must not sleep again...what in the name of THOR?" 

There was a loud thump on the roof and a second later the head of dragon-Ryker appeared in the window, upside down. 

_"Naptime is finally over?_" his deep voice resounded in my head. 

My eyes snapped back open and I had to bite my lip at the expression Viggo made. He looked utterly aghast. 

_"I feel terrible Ryker...I'd rather not wake up at all."_ I stammered in my mind. 

He growled lightly. _"Nonsense. Don't throw the gift of life away so easily, I know what I am talking about. Everyone was worried sick over you - especially he."_ Ryker made a small gesture with his head towards Viggo, who still struggled for words. 

I took in Viggo's face. The light flooding into my room did little to disguise the grey tinge of his skin and the sunken eyes. _"Be honest Ryker, did he even sleep at all the last four days?" _

_"Only when Nanna threatened him to mix enough sleeping drought into his food that he would pass out for a week."_ he chuckled. _"I always liked that old witch."_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Viggo had finally found his voice. "This dragon should not be sitting on our roof!"

Ryker huffed and I could feel him roll his blind eyes. 

"I told you, I can prove that this dragon is our brother." I said quietly. 

"Oh Lilly...come on..." he started but a deep growl from Ryker let him choke on his words. He brought his good hand in front of his eyes and sighed. "How am I supposed to believe this?" 

"Well...what would make you believe?" I asked, venturing carefully. 

_"Maybe I should take him for a flight again - a little free falling never hurt someone..." _

"_Shh Ryker." _

Viggo shook his head as he let his hand drop again. "I must be crazy to go along with this...but all right, if this dragon is indeed our brother, then he shall tell you something about my childhood that no one else knows." 

Ryker laughed. "_Oh I have a good one_." And then his words filled my mind and as they did my lips turned upwards as what he told me sunk in. I even giggled a little. It felt foreign and wrong coming from me after all that happened before.

Viggo raised a brow at me. "What is amusing you that much, little flower?" 

"Ryker says that you used to steal mother's nightgown when you were five. You loved to sleep in it but father didn't approve." All color drained from Viggo's face and I had to giggle again before I could continue. "So one day he told you that the Trolls might come and take your manhood away if you didn't stop...you were so scared that you kept checking if everything was still in place in your pants multiple times a day for the next three months..." 

Viggo looked like he was going to faint. His eyes darted from Ryker, who was laughing loudly in his dragon way, back to me, then back to Ryker again. All the while his lips moved but he wasn't uttering a word, giving the impression of a dying fish. 

"Uh...Viggo?" I started carefully, reaching my hand out to touch his. "Are you okay?"

**Hiccup's POV**

The new-born flames licked at the wooden stick like a hungry kitten. In minutes they grew ravenous, hungrily devouring everything in the hearth. I placed a larger log into their seductive clutches and watched, hypnotized by their dance; the heat on my face growing almost painful but I didn't care.

It's been four days since the battle with Drago but it could as well have been a year. Time had no meaning to me. It was hard to wrap my mind around everything that happened. The Bewilderbeast disappeared into the depths of the ocean right after his blow at Drago. Only the gods knew where it was now. 

Viggo's town was in ruins. It would take the Hunters months to build it up again especially with the high number of men they had lost. The hunter's healer, Nanna, had fallen into something that she jokingly called her automatic mode while she scurried from one injured person to the next. The great hall, being one of the few buildings that remained undamaged, had been turned into an infirmary. That's where I was now, where Nanna had me patched up as well and although my wounds stung and the loss of blood left me weak, they were not the worst part. The worst part was the pain inside.

The silence and the stillness, broken only by the occasional grunt or moan of one of the wounded, was unbearable to me. The war was won, Drago was defeated and gone, but it didn't feel like victory. So much death, so much pain and Lilly...Lilly had fallen into unconsciousness before I even got the chance to get to her. Viggo had been at her side, of course, and I was left to stand by - once again I was only a watcher as they brought her back to their house, wrapped her up in layers of furs to get the cold out of her body and urge her back to the conscious world. It hadn't worked. Instead of waking up, Lilly had fallen into a fever and didn't show any sign of waking up till now. But I was not allowed to stay with her...no I should go and rest...as if I could ever find peace again...everything was falling apart and the thought that I might lose her too weighed heavy on my heart. 

"Hiccup, I think the fire is big enough now." 

I forced myself to look away from the hearth and my eyes fell on my mother who lied in a make-shift cot only a few feet away from where I had just lit a fire. She was still weak but at least her cheeks had gained their natural color back. Toothless' rested his head in her lap and warbled as she let her fingers run over his head. Hope was lying curled up at her father's feet. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Mom had forgiven him. Of course she had. Like I did. 

Careful not to stretch my wounds too much, I scrambled back to my feet and walked over to sit down on the edge of her cot. I could still hardly believe that I got my mother back a second time. All thanks to Jali, who had not been seen since he brought my mother back to the island. I just hoped he was fine...I could only imagine how Lilly would feel if she found out he was gone...

Mom grabbed my hand with her free one and squeezed gently, shaking me from my thoughts. We shared a long, silent glance. There were no words needed. We shared the same pain. 

"Mom..." I whispered, tears stung behind my eyes and threatened to fall. "...Mom I..."

"Hush Hiccup, I know." she whispered as she cupped her hand to my cheek, then brought it up to brush through my hair. My throat closed up, it was hard to fight back my tears. "Please don't blame yourself my boy, it was my mistake to go after Drago." 

I shook my head vehemently as the first tear slipped from my eye. "No...no I should have been stronger...I should have known...maybe then he would...maybe then he wouldn't be..." Dead. Maybe then he wouldn't be dead. It was obvious. But somehow I just couldn't make myself say it out loud. Saying it would make it final...there was no denial then. 

"Hiccup, stop. Listen to me, when you came into this world you were such a wee thing and I feared you wouldn't live to see another day. But not your father. Stoick never had a doubt that you would survive. He always told me, that one day you would become the strongest of them all. And just look at you...look at the man you have become. He was so proud of you, son and I know that he wouldn't want you to lose yourself in grief." 

I swallowed hard against the small, pathetic noise that rose in my throat. I felt like a little boy again, helpless and weak and I just wanted my Dad. "B-but that's the thing Mom...I am not what he thought I would be...I...I am not like him...I...don't know..." 

Mom gave me a small smile but it quickly faded as she drew her hand away from my face. She bit her lower lip. "I know I don't have much experience with being your mother and that is entirely my fault, but...well, I suppose there are some things that are just born of instinct...and I have no doubts that you will be a great chief and..."

I knew I was not able to handle this right now. "No, don't Mom! Please for the love of Thor...don't...don't say that." I interrupted her, keeping my voice as steady as I could. She looked taken aback and that instantly filled me with guilt. Toothless made a questioning sound and I stroked his head absentmindedly. I felt like I couldn't breathe, I needed to get out of here.

"Hiccup, I..."

"It's okay Mom." I quickly said, fighting to hold back my tears as I gave her a peck on her cheek and pushed myself back to my feet. "I just need some fresh air. Come on, bud." 

It hurt to see her heartbroken face, but I couldn't help it. I just needed to be alone. 

"Okay, son. I understand." she said quietly and I turned on my heel as fast as I could. Not able to remain in the hall for a second longer. 

I started to speed walk towards the entrance door of the great hall but it looked more like pathetic hobbling that came not only from my fresh wounds. I never hated it more and never felt more aware of it. Even when I still had both legs, I wasn't proud of the way I ran, had always been told I looked like a gangly bird when I tried and since I had a prosthetic it hadn't gotten any better. I only made it a few steps through the hall when I heard Astrid calling out for me. She and the gang stood all gathered around a vessel of hot chicken broth. Eira and her brother were joining them.

I was determined to ignore them, but Astrid stepped in my way, holding a bowl of hot soup out for me. "Here Hiccup, you need to eat." For a few seconds I just stared at the bowl then let my gaze wander around my friends. Their bodies were wrapped in various bandages too...all got hurt and I couldn't help but feel guilty for it. Astrid knitted her brows when I didn't answer. "Hiccup? Is something wrong?"

Yes! I wanted to say. I wanted to scream. Yes! Everything is wrong and it will never be right again! I opened my mouth to share that with her, but I couldn't find a way to say it. I was scared. Scared of bringing heartbreak to their eyes. My friends had loved my father too, who am I to add more sorrow to their hearts? Just the mere thought of it made me want to break down and cry my eyes out but I couldn't...I didn't want them to see. My friends shouldn't have to watch me go through this. Nobody else deserved a piece of the sadness that was burrowed into my chest like a flaming sword. So instead I said: "No, no it's okay Astrid. I am just not hungry...that's all." 

Astrid let out a deep breath as she lowered the bowl in her hand. "Hiccup...I know how you feel." she said very quietly. 

"No, you don't." I said, my voice suddenly loud and strong as anger stirred in the pit of my stomach. "You know _nothing_ about my feelings." 

"Well, all right maybe I don't but then tell us Hiccup. Please, let us help you. You don't have to carry that all on your own. Stoick would..."

"STOP!" I cried out, clutching my hands in front of my face. "Just stop, Astrid!" It was too much. I turned away from her, shaking with suppressed sobs. Put yourself together, Hiccup. They shouldn't witness this. 

Astrid was talking again but I couldn't hear a word. I shoved myself past her without looking back. I knew she was still standing in the middle of the hall, a bowl of soup in her hand. Her gaze as well as the gazes of my friends were burning themselves into my back like thousands of hot needles. What is wrong with me to reject them like this?

I stepped outside and the cold evening air left me shivering, but I didn't care. My eyes fell on the ocean. He was somewhere out there. His body nothing but dead flesh for the fish to feast on. He didn't deserve this...he deserved to be sent to Valhalla in glory...why...why did this have to happen? 

My chest heaved as the first sobbing sound left my throat. I couldn't hold them in any longer. A nudge at my hand, followed by a worried purr. "H-hey bud..." I choked out. "...w-wanna f-fly a b-bit?" 

Toothless made an affirmative sound and lowered his back but before I got the chance to climb up, I heard someone else call out my name. I lifted my head to see Nanna head up to me. Her cheeks were red and it took her a few moments to catch her breath. She must have been running. 

I quickly rubbed my face with the back of my sleeve to hide my tears. "W-what is it Nanna?" 

Finally she regained herself. "Lilly woke up. I thought this might be of interest for you." she said, giving me a knowing smile. 


	95. Chapter 94 - Reunion?

**Lilly's POV**

"Uh...Viggo? Why aren't you saying anything?"

For several minutes Viggo did nothing but stare at Ryker's dragon-face - his eyes wide and mouth agape. I worried my lower lip as he yet again refused to answer. _"Oh Ryker I am not sure this was the best decision..._"

Just then, right before Ryker could utter a word - Viggo snapped back to reality. "This dragon _is_ Ryker..." he muttered under his breath, his arms flailing towards the window where Ryker still sat upside down. His lips twitched into a lopsided grin and I had to strain my ears...but did he just _laugh_?

It became quite clear when Viggo turned to face me. He was trembling like a leaf but there was no mistaking in the sounds he made. His breath came in quick gasps between his unstoppable giggles. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over. "Ryker is a dragon!" he burst out while he clutched his arms around his stomach as he shook under his uncontrollable laughing fit.

The sound of it sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine. Under any other circumstances my brother's laughter would have filled me with happiness but this... this just felt wrong. It was not like him. Not at all.

Viggo was always such a serious person, even when he was happy he hardly let it show through anything more than an amused chuckle. And now he was laughing so hard, that he could barely breathe. "A dr-dragon...he...he's a dragon..." he barked out between laughters.

"_Yeah...I am, we got it...don't freak out..."_ Ryker's growl rumbled through my head and I could practically feel him roll his eyes in annoyance. But Viggo was far from done.

His laughters ebbed down to quiet gasps for air and I could swear I saw a tear drop onto my blanket as Viggo pushed himself off of my bed and began pacing through my room till he came to a halt in front of my dressing table. He had his back turned to me as he pressed the palms of his hands on the wooden surface, eying the jars filled with ointments and other medicine, that Nanna had laid out for my treatment.

"Viggo? I..." My voice turned into a startled shriek as Viggo suddenly swept them all off to the floor where the jars shattered into a hundred tiny pieces, their oily content splattering onto the walls and floor.

"HE - CAME - BACK - AS - A - GODSDAMN - DRAGON!" he roared as he seized the dressing table and knocked it down as well. Seething with rage, Viggo turned to face Ryker. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME BACK TO US! AFTER ALL YOU DID!" He bent down to grab an emptied cup from the floor and aimed it at Ryker's head, who let out a furious roar as it hit his snout.

_"OH! Don't think it's a picnic for me to be a freakin' dragon! After all I could feast in Valhalla now, but no - I chose to come back to help and this is how you thank me?!"_ Ryker huffed and puffed in anger - bared his razor sharp teeth at Viggo who seemed to have lost it as he kept on spitting insults and throwing my belongings at Ryker.

Appalled by both of my brother's rage I tried to get into a more upright position but the movement left my head spinning. It was too much. "Stop it..." I croaked out but my voice got lost under Ryker's growls and Viggo's shouts. Smoke rose from Ryker's snout as his fury grew. _Incredulous! Muttonheads! _

I couldn't stand that any longer. Ignoring my spinning vision, I struggled out of my bed and got up on wobbly legs. Viggo lunged at Ryker with raised fists. "Stop!" I cried, starting forward but my limbs felt like jelly. Stars were dancing across my vision and a sudden pain surged through my hands as something sharp bored itself into my flesh. I must have sliced my hands on the broken jars in my attempt to cushion my fall. An involuntary gasp left my mouth as I rose to my knees.

Viggo froze and Ryker stilled. It was only a second before I was hauled back up to my feet by Viggo, his expression not furious anymore but rather petrified.

"Lilly...my gods, I am sorry..." he muttered as he held me up by wrapping one arm around my waist while he turned my hands over in his other one to examine the damage done. I hissed as he started to pull several splinters from my flesh - leaving small bloody cuts behind. All the while he murmured apologies like a repeating chant. I hardly felt the stinging pain - what was that compared to the pain inside of me? In a strange, twisted way it felt good to see my own blood dropping to the floor. So many dead, so much bloodshed and all because of me...I should be the one bleeding - it's only just. Viggo kept on talking to me but I didn't hear a word as I stared at down at my hands - mesmerized. However my mind registered that I should answer him.

"Don't worry brother...it's just a scratch." I murmured absentmindedly.

"You're bleeding - this wound needs to be tended."

"I don't care." It was the truth. I didn't.

"But..."

"I don't care!" I snapped, withdrawing my hands from Viggo's hold. He made a disapproving sound but I couldn't care less - there were far more important things weighing on my heart. "Stop attacking Ryker. It won't help anyone if you destroy everything in my room..."

Viggo's shoulders slumped as he took a look around. There was guilt in his eyes. "I suppose I got a bit carried away..." he admitted, scratching his beard with the hand that wasn't holding me.

_"Oh you think so, yes?"_ Ryker's voice was a taunting sound in my head.

_"Shh Ryker! You stop it too!"_ I retorted equally angry with him as I was with Viggo.

"My apologies for freaking out, dear sis...but I actually thought he was dead." Viggo gestured wildly at the black dragon. "And now he's not - that's a lot to take in. He betrayed me and he betrayed you...and now he's back? Why? How?" His last words were directed at Ryker who made a sad sound that came deep from his chest.

"He saved me after all Viggo - I told you...and now he's filled with remorse." I whispered when Ryker's words started to fill my mind and I was talking for him. Of how Drago imprisoned him. Of Hammond finding him and how he told Ryker about his plan for my escape - how it had never included himself. Then of death - of white light and the goddess Freya bargaining with Odin to let him and Hammond return for a limited time to support the people who fought for the freedom of dragon kind and to return the blessed key to the chosen safekeeper who shall keep it until the time comes to unlock its secret. I frowned at this, while tears streamed down my face. I wanted to see grandfather so badly. And what did that mean, the key? To unlock what?

Ryker was as clueless as I was about that. However, I was shook from my thoughts by Viggo's voice as he spoke - barely audible. "I see..."

I chanced a glance up at his face to see wetness on his cheeks as well. It made me want to bury my face into his chest to cry even harder but instead I took a tiny step towards Ryker and Viggo - still keeping me upright - had no choice but to follow. I didn't stop until we were merely inches apart from his dark snout. Ryker's nostrils flared as he sniffed us up and down.

"Will you stop that - " Viggo huffed half-heartedly and I let out a strangled laugh, then a sob as I reached my hand out to touch my dragon-brother's smooth scales. Ryker closed his eyes and purred. Viggo shifted beside me in discomfort. He probably didn't know what to do or how to react. Without breaking my contact with Ryker, I reached down with my other hand to take Viggo's free one. He raised a brow in an attempt to appear indifferent, but his shaking voice betrayed him. "Lilly...what are you doing?"

A gasp left his mouth as I brought the palm of his hand to Ryker's head and that was the moment when Viggo finally broke. All the pent up pain and emotions of the past weeks came crashing down on him. We stayed like this for a while, succumbing to our tears with Viggo's face buried in my hair and me clutching to him while we both touched our dead brother. Despite our grief it was strangely peaceful, although the moment was only meant to last for a little while.

A knock on the door made me jump in Viggo's arms and my hand fell away from Ryker's face.

The door opened with a creek and in came Magnus. "Chief? I..." He started but froze in his tracks as he took in the scene that played out before his eyes. Magnus' eyes widened in surprise, but there was the hint of something else glimmering in them - something I couldn't quite put my finger on. His lips twitched upwards into the tiniest of smiles. "Oh I beg your pardon, Sir."

Viggo quickly wiped his hand over his face to hide his tears and cleared his throat before he turned to face his right hand man. "Magnus, how many times have I told you that you don't have to call me Sir anymore? Not after all you did for me and my family."

"Too many times to count Sir." Magnus said in his usual monotone voice, folding his hands behind his back.

Viggo chuckled lightly. Magnus was born with the manners of his station and it seemed there was no changing him. "What has brought you here, Magnus?" he asked.

"It was not my intention to interrupt your family reunion, Sir, but the council requests your presence in their meeting. There's need to decide the fates of the prisoners including Agatha Riber."

A shiver ran through me at the mention of that woman and I heard Viggo sigh. "Alright, I will be right there. Just give me one minute."

"Of course Sir." Magnus bowed a little and turned to leave, but stopped with his hand on the door handle. "And if I may add..."

"Yes, Magnus?"

"I am delighted to see you awake, mylady Lillian. I am certain that you are full of questions and as soon as time allows me to, I would be honored to answer you to the best of my abilities. For now, know this - Lord Hammond is very proud of you."

My head snapped up and I stared at Magnus in bewilderment. He winked, chuckled and left my room. "What?" I breathed out, searching Viggo's gaze. He sighed again.

"There is a lot you don't know yet, Lilly. It appears that Magnus knew our mother's tribe very well for all those years he spent serving our family. Come, let me treat your cuts and I shall tell you all that I know."

_"Hmm and I shall go and look for Hammond, he truly wants to see you as well."_ Ryker's voice rumbled in my head as he took off.

\-------------

**Astrid's POV**

"Oh...that didn't go very well." Fishlegs muttered crestfallen as I slumped onto the bench next to him, putting the steaming bowl down a bit too harshly. Soup splattered onto the table and my fingers. I hissed under my breath - that actually hurt a bit. Sadness as well as anger rolled through me.

"Knucklehead! I just wished he wouldn't shut us out." I let the others know of my frustration, put my elbows onto the table and supported my head between my hands - it felt too heavy all of the sudden. "This is not the Hiccup I knew."

"The man who died - Stoick - he was your chief, wasn't he? Eira told me." Robert said, observing me with those chocolate-like eyes of his and the sound of his accent had me almost shiver. Robert had his long black hair combed to the back of his head into a ponytail and with them gone it was the first time that I could really take in his features. His skin was tanned and his lips were plump. He was not overly muscled but still well-built - all in all he was so very not-Viking-like and I found that I liked that.

Wait a second - what am I thinking? I felt heat rush to my cheeks. This man shot me from the sky! His tribe hunts dragons for Thor's sake! I can and will under no circumstances let his looks get to me!

Pushing my unwelcomed thoughts aside, I gave a court nod, but it was Ruffnut who answered.

"Yes." she said, lowering her spoon. I could see how she swallowed hard. "The best man you could think of..."

Tuffnut let his spoon drop as well, shoved his bowl away. His eyes were watery. On the other side of the table Snotlout sniffed, but when Eira gave him an odd look he gave his typical Snotlout laughter - the one he always gave when he was trying to hide his feelings and play tough. "Are there onions in there? I'm allergic to onions...they make my eyes burn..."

"He was also Hiccup's father." added Fishlegs followed by a choked sound coming from his throat.

"I understand." Robert said, took another spoon of soup, swallowed, and then continued. "There's nothing much you can do for your friend now. He'll need time - don't force him to talk about it unless he comes to you. I have a vague idea how he must feel right now..."

"How would you know?" I snapped, maybe a bit too harshly and Eira huffed in annoyance. I couldn't care less about her.

Robert's lips twitched into a sad half-smile as he stared down at his broth. "Because I had to experience the same only a year ago."

_Oh_. I swallowed hard. That came unexpected.

"Your father died?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yes. And his death forced me into the role as the chief of Solsteinn although I didn't feel ready. I wouldn't sleep for many nights - grieving over my father as well as worrying about my new role. The expectations of my people were so high and I - I was scared to disappoint them..."

"Wow, that's tough." Fishlegs mumbled, staring at the hands in his lap.

Robert sighed deeply. "Indeed. But am glad to have my sister - she was my greatest help." He lifted his gaze and Eira blew him a kiss from across the table.

Urgh. Something about her left me feeling uncomfortable but I had to admit that Robert's words touched me. I was not expecting him to open up to us that much.

"And...if you'd like - I would offer my support to you and Berk. I know how hard the first months after becoming the chief can be."

I snapped back to reality when Robert continued. "How? Your tribe hunts dragons for their poison - don't think Hiccup or anyone of us would ever form an alliance with someone who uses dragons for their own profit." I crossed my arms in front of my chest and shot Robert a glare.

"Ah yes - I know that, fair Astrid." Robert interrupted me and my name practically rolled from his tongue - I nearly trembled at the sound of it. What the Hel is wrong with me? A wave of shame rushed through my body and it only got worse when Robert's lips twisted upwards into a grin as he noticed me blush. "But I am glad to inform you that my tribe will lay down its business as dragons hunters. I've discussed this with Viggo and with each other's support we will establish a new way of trading."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Fishlegs exclaimed a bit too excited in my eyes and the others agreed with almost as much enthusiasm. I knitted my brows at them. Have they already forgotten how he captured our dragons - how we nearly died on his ship? Well I would not put my trust in him or his sister that easily.

"It does sound promising - if it's true." I said as I decided to leave the hall. Some fresh air was what I needed now. I got back up to my feet and gave Robert one last hard look. "But I will only believe it when I see it with my own eyes."

\-----------

**Hiccup's POV**

My heart hammered hard in my chest as I limped up to Lilly's room. Toothless followed close behind. I couldn't wait to see her finally awake. "Come on bud." I panted out, as I sped up my pace as fast as I could manage, ignoring the protests of my aching body. Seeing Lilly mattered more - just down the hall, then around the corner and -

I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Toothless to bump into my back. "Whoa!" I cried out and flailed my arms in an attempt to keep myself from stumbling over and if it wasn't for Toothless I would have greeted the floor with my face - but he stopped my fall by taking hold of my tunic with his teeth. "Th-thanks bud..." I gasped out. Toothless purred and rolled his eyes at me.

There, right in front of Lilly's door stood a grey haired man whom I recognized as Magnus. He raised one grey brow at me as I hobbled closer.

"Can I see her?" I asked bluntly, skipping any words of greeting.

Magnus wrinkled his forehead at my rather impolite words but his lips curled upwards into a smile. "It is not my place to decide this - but as my chief will be done in a few minutes, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't see the Lady Grimborn. Let me see." he said as he turned to knock at the door - then opened it when Viggo's voice drew into the hall, asking us to come in.

I took a step forward and peeked into the room to find Lilly propped up against her pillows, her hair tousled and eyes watery with the lingering fever, but no further delirium. Viggo was lying, no he was lounging at her side with her pale hands in his. He was fumbling around with a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her right palm. They were talking, their words indistinct to my ears and then Lilly was even giggling a little. It was a scene of such intimacy that I didn't know what I felt - envy or outrage. I should be the one at her side - I should have been the one to see her waking up, not Viggo.

Magnus stepped closer and followed my gaze. He let out a heartfelt chuckle. "It still amazes me, so many years have passed but some things will never change. One thing is certain, not everyone can love like that."

"Like what?" I muttered absentmindedly.

"Well - like brother and sister." he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Just then Viggo noticed me and his smile grew wider at the sight of me.

"Ah, Hiccup my dear, come in." He extended his hand in welcome and I took in a deep breath, Magnus' words still burning a hole into my stomach, before I stepped into the room. The sight of it left me nearly gasping. Lilly's room looked as if a Rumblehorn crashed into it. What the Hel happened?

Shaking my head slightly, I brought my gaze back to Lilly. She kept her head lowered, chewing on her bottom lip and avoided to look at me. My chest tightened almost painfully. Did she not want to see me? I felt tears stinging in my eyes but blinked them away. I would not cry in front of Viggo. It was stupid of me to come here.

"I...uh...I am sorry...Nanna told me Lilly was awake, so I thought...I thought that...no, that's stupid...I should leave..." I stammered, trying to keep my composure. Toothless pushed himself into the room, nudged my right arm and warbled as if he was asking me what was wrong. I didn't even know myself.

"No, no, it's alright. Stay Hiccup. I was just about to join Magnus in the meeting of the council." Viggo stood, approached me and put both of his hands on my shoulders in encouragement. "Lilly wanted to see you."

_Oh, really? Then why does she look like she'd rather face a horde of wild Speedstingers than me?_

Viggo gave me a sympathetic look and squeezed my shoulders before he left, silently wishing me luck.

**Lilly's POV**

It was true, I wanted to see Hiccup but now that he was actually here, all I wanted was to hide under my blanket and disappear.

I felt like my brand was burning and I put my hand to my chest, touching it over my light nightgown. How was I supposed to face him with this _thing_ on me? I didn't want Hiccup to see it - to see me like this. Hel, I didn't even want to see my own reflection ever again. Drago was dead and couldn't own me anymore, but I was ruined. I've learned enough since my return, to know that such a sign burned into my flesh stripped me of any status. Hiccup was a chief to be - he couldn't afford to have a wife who's body was stained with the mark of a slave. Oh gods what is he going to say? My chest tightened almost painfully at the thoughts that consumed my mind and it took me several heartbeats to realize that Viggo had left the room with Magnus. Now it was only Hiccup and me. And Toothless.

For several minutes neither of us moved or uttered a word. Hiccup shifted from his foot to prosthetic as he stood next to the door and clenched his fists open and closed. I kept staring at my fingers and bit my lower lip. After a while I heard Toothless grumble in annoyance and push Hiccup forward. "_Come on you two - talk."_

Finally, Hiccup took a heart. He cleared his throat and out of the corner of my eyes I watched him approach and sit down at the foot of my bed, he folded his hands, looked down at them.

Nerves ate a hole through my stomach as I waited for him to say something.

"Uh...what happened to your room?"

So he was avoiding the obvious things we needed to talk about and I didn't know how to feel about it, but I answered anyway.

"Viggo freaked out..." It was not a lie. But how should I tell him that it was because of a dragon who turned out to be my dead brother? Maybe it would be better to not bring it up at all. Hiccup would not believe me anyway.

"Oh..." Hiccup breathed as he took in the chaos all around us and shook his head. He cleared his throat once more before he spoke again. "So...uhm...how do you feel?"

I dared to lift my head and found that Hiccup was staring at me with tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. A ragged breath left my throat. "Awful...you?"

"Awful."

We kept eye-contact for a moment, both of us trapped in our own world of grief. My eyes widened when Hiccup eventually scooted closer to me and placed his right hand on top of mine, drawing small circles with his thumb over the bandage and my skin. It was a loving gesture, but I could hardly stand it. My breathing started to quicken.

"I am sorry Lilly."

_Huh? What was he sorry for? If anyone was to blame then it was me!_ I almost wanted to voice that out loud, but kept it to myself.

"What for?" I asked incredulously.

"For everything...if I didn't leave to hunt Drago down then all of this might have never happened...and when you collapsed on the ship - I truly feared I would lose you too..." The first tear dropped from his eye and down to his chin and I felt my throat close up at his sight. I drew in a deep breath to combat the feeling.

"Would that really have been so bad? I'm no good for anyone..." I muttered weakly. Shadow was wrong to send me back - it would be better for everyone if I was gone.

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock, grabbed harder onto my hand. "What are you talking about? Don't you dare to think that way! It was you who killed Drago in the end - you were brave enough to do it and..."

Hiccup didn't get to finish.

"No I was not!"

"But you were..."

"Stop it! I was not brave...don't you dare to tell me that I am some kind of hero when I am clearly not! They died, Hiccup! They all died because of me - because I exist! I shouldn't be allowed to walk this earth, can't you see it?! Hel - you got tortured because of me!" I burst out, my chest heaving as I tried to fight back the tears that stung behind my eyes.

Hiccup's face paled and he shook his head vehemently as he scooted closer. He reached out to touch my cheek, but I couldn't handle that right now and snapped my head away. I watched him swallow his disappointment before he spoke. His voice sounded choked up with tears. "Don't blame yourself for that Lilly - it was not your fault and besides - it is over now - Drago is dead and you are free..."

I laughed at that, but it was sharp and cynical. "No I am not. I will never be."

"What do you mean? Of course you are!" he raised his voice in growing frustration. "You are as free as the hundreds of dragons that we saved! Toothless will take us to them - we shall fly again..."

I shrieked out a laugh, or maybe I just shrieked. Fly again. _Fly_. What a ridiculous thought. What was Hiccup even getting at? He kept on acting as if I was free. But I was not...the brand on my chest a constant reminder of Drago - I would never be able to forget. Drago was dead, but I was still his prisoner.His presence lingering over me like a monstrous shadow. I didn't even know how I was crying again, how I had any tears left in me. I wanted it to stop, but I couldn't. I sobbed so hard that my chest was hurting, I was hurting badly and Hiccup didn't understand why.

"No Hiccup, you don't get it - you don't get it!" I yelled and Toothless made a sound of alarm.

"Then help me get it! Please Lilly!" There was desperation in his voice.

"I WILL NEVER FLY AGAIN! SHADOW IS DEAD!" Too much. It was all too much - I just wanted to hide, to be alone - Hiccup should just leave me. I am not worth anything!

"And my father is dead too!" Hiccup yelled back at me, tears streaming down his face. He was trembling, his hands clenched to fists. Toothless stayed silent but eyed us both with growing worry. I stared wide eyed at Hiccup - never before had he raised his voice towards me - it was new and although I probably earned it, it came unexpected. He took in a shuddering breath before he continued in a calmer voice. "By the love of Thor, Lilly - I am suffering as much as you are! But I love you and I believe in you - I believe in us."

"B-but you cannot love me...not anymore..." I sobbed.

"Will you stop now, please?! Of course I love you - why are you so afraid?" Hiccup reached out for me once more and this time I let him. His fingers brushed my cheek and he turned my face to make me look at him. "What happened to you?"

His voice sounded so sincere and broken that I couldn't stand it anymore. I hadn't wanted to show him, but there seemed to be no other way to convince him that he wouldn't want me anymore. A wave of rage rushed through me and I suddenly found myself pulling at my nightgown with such violence, that I tore it. I ignored Hiccup's cry of protest as I straightened, then I pointed at the brand right over my left breast. "Look Hiccup! Look! I am ruined!"

Hiccup's mouth had fallen open in horror, all color draining from his face. His mouth moved, as if he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. My heart shattered to pieces. I should have known.

Then my name left his mouth, barely audible and utterly heartbroken.

"There, see?! You can't love me anymore - because I...I am worthless..." I rasped out, the familiar tightness in my chest growing stronger - I felt like I couldn't breathe. Oh if only the earth would open and swallow me whole.

"N-no you're not..."

Huh, what?

I shuddered under another violent sob but then held my breath at Hiccup's words. He put his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him.

"Lilly I love you, can't you see that? I don't care what that brand means! Drago is dead and no one is going to lay hand on you ever again. We will just be Hiccup and Lilly, like we were before, okay?"

I nodded although I felt miserable. He didn't understand - I would never be the same again.

Hiccup gave a faint smile as he brushed tears from my cheeks, but when he leaned in to kiss me - I turned my head away. Oh I did want to kiss him back, I wanted to with all my heart but somehow I couldn't... _What's wrong with me? Why was I rejecting his love?_ I hated myself for it. My throat was tight, I gasped for air - feeling like I would suffocate. Emotions running wild inside me so hard that I didn't know what I was feeling anymore.

Hiccup let go off me, looking utterly crestfallen.

"I'm sorry Hiccup...I just..." I tried to explain, but he interrupted me.

"No, no, I get it. Apparently you can cuddle with your brother but one kiss of me is too much...well I guess whatever you have with me isn't as awesome as what you have with him."

Anger leaped though me like a burning flame. It was not true! I was just - Hel I didn't even know what was happening to me and it terrified me. "What?! Are you serious? I..."

"No, save your words! Just...say nothing..." Hiccup's face was unreadable as he got up and hurried out of my room, Toothless followed close behind.

_"Why couldn't you just kiss him?_"

But before I could find the words to retort, he was gone as well.

I was all alone as my world shattered to pieces all over again.


	96. Chapter 95 - Council Meeting

**Viggo's POV**

"You knew, didn't you?" 

Magnus kept his back turned on me as we crossed the front yard of the villa. Sleety rain started to fall and the cold wind had me shiver. I wrapped my fur cloak tighter around my body and tugged at the hood to keep the stinging rain out of my face. It wouldn't be long until the first snow now.

"I admit that I had my suspicions about the black dragon, but I wasn't sure until I saw him with you and your sister, Sir." Magnus' voice rose in volume against the wind. 

"But how is this possible?" I quickened my pace to catch up with him and put a hand on his shoulder. The rain against my skin was icy but I had more important things going on in my mind than physical comfort. I still had a hard time to come on terms with the fact that my own brother apparently came back from the dead as a dragon of all things. 

Magnus stopped to look at me. "A dragon is more than just an animal, Sir. They are ancient, magical creatures - I am certain you experienced that first hand with your Skrill. I cannot tell you how, but having dragon's blood in one's veins is essential. The rest is the will of the goddess." 

"That's hardly an explanation..." 

"Some things don't require explanation but faith, Sir." Magnus answered plainly and started walking again. 

"So what are you suggesting? That I should just believe it? That's not enough. . . it's against all logic!" 

"Indeed, Sir."

That was utterly unsatisfying. I huffed under my breath - miracles where nothing I used to believe in and magic was something that happened in the old sagas, the poems of ancient heroes and gods that bards used to sing for the entertainment of my people in the mead hall. This wasn't supposed to actually happen and it most certainly wasn't supposed to happen to _me_ and my family. And yet, it was. 

We continued our way in silence. The streets were empty safe for a few obdurate hunters who braved the weather, not willing to stop their work of clearing the streets of debris and other remains of burnt down houses. I raised my arm to greet them and the men returned my gesture. It would take months to rebuild the town and with winter at the doorstep it would not be a task that I could take lightly. Only the gods knew when we would be able to return to everyday life. It was another stone plastered to my heart - what would grandfather say if he could see me now? All that he was proud of, all that he ever cared for was burnt to ashes. He would probably turn in his grave if he knew. Not only because of the destruction but also because I abandoned the business that he built our tribe's wealth on.

Magnus kicked a wooden sign out of the way as we reached the ruins of the tavern and took a turn up the alley that led to the great hall. I followed in silence, lost deeply in my thoughts. That was until I glimpsed a blond figure hurrying down the steps of the hall and calling out for her dragon. It was Astrid. I frowned. What could she possibly want out here in this bad weather? I didn't get to ask her though, as just then a dark shadow appeared above my head and in the next instant the black dragon - no, Ryker - landed right in front of me. The sudden movement made me stumble backwards and I couldn't bite back an annoyed snort. 

"Do you have to startle me like that?" 

Ryker chuckled as I glared at him and to my displeasure Magnus mimicked the sound. I lifted my chin and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Ryker had always been taller than me but as a dragon he was all but towering over me and I hated it. "Well. . . _brother_, if you'll excuse me, I have a council meeting to attend." With that I circled my dragon-brother and speed-walked towards the great hall, taking two steps at a time, without paying him or Magnus another glance. I reached the door, ready to greet the guards when I noticed they weren't looking at me but staring at something behind my back with wide, fearful eyes. I didn't have to guess twice who they were staring at.

Rolling my eyes, I rushed into the hall. Neither was I in the mood nor did I have the time to deal with my dragon-brother right now. Ryker would surely see reason and wait outside till my meeting was over. 

All surviving council members safe for me and Magnus were already gathered in the small side room that was connected to the great hall and usually used for the servants. The room had no windows, was lit and warmed by torches and a burning brazier instead. I sighed in content as I shoved my hood back, life flooding back into my cold limbs.

"Chief, I must object! You'd have us gathered here in this _cubbyhole_ like common peasants!" complained Gorm, the eldest member of the council. His chubby face was flushed red as he downed yet another mug of ale. Thor knew his best years were long behind him and instead of a sword he now wore a big belly thanks to his beloved ale. I felt a rush of annoyance light up in my veins but kept my expression emotionless. 

"Well, Gorm, I am sorry that you consider it unworthy for your status - but please I am certain there's still a place for you in the great hall - Nanna will surely appreciate your help in treating the _peasants_ who spilled their blood for your own safety." I made sure to remind him as I rounded the table to the seat at the head of it. Taking off my cloak I raised my brows at Gorm in expectation. He gulped as he felt all eyes on him. 

"I think I can make do with this for now...chief." he admitted ruefully and I nodded in acknowledgement. 

"I'm glad that you can." I said as I took my seat and looked around the dimly lit room at familiar faces. I counted four of my council members, all of them bleary-eyed and ashen faced after battle - well with the exception of Gorm and my heart sank, that meant three of my best men had fallen. I didn't include Asmund in my calculation. Eira and Robert were present too, as were Valka and the dragon riders, safe for Hiccup and Astrid. I greeted them with a court nod when Magnus entered the room. Good now everyone was here. 

"Let us..." I began but my voice died in my throat as the table shook under a sudden impact. My eyes narrowed in annoyance as I glimpsed the cause of it. _He can't be serious..._

A startled cry escaped Gorm's lips. "Odin have mercy! It's a dragon!" 

"Yes...I can see that myself..." I growled and was back on my feet in one swift motion. Ryker was trying to get into the room and now he got himself stuck in the door. His claws scratched over the floor as he struggled. "What in the name of Thor?!" I pressed out when I was close enough. "This is not the place for you - leave!" 

Ryker stopped his struggles for a second to growl at me when someone approached me from behind.

"Oh no, let him stay if he wants to join us. What harm could he do?" 

As Valka passed me, she stretched out her hand to scratch the scales on the underside of Ryker's snout. "You want to know what we humans are up to, don't you?" she all but warbled to him and I rolled my eyes at the awfully smug expression that appeared on my brother's face as his dragon lips curled upwards and did he just...? 

"Is this for real - now you _purr_?" 

"But of course he does!" Valka retorted and shot me a hard look that instantly softened when she turned back to Ryker "You are a special dragon, aren't you?" The black dragon's head bobbed up and down in a nod, very much to Valka's excitement. I wondered if she would still pet him with the same amount of dedication if she knew who the dragon truly was. Probably not. 

Valka didn't notice the wink Ryker directed at me and I huffed under my breath as my blood started to sear with anger. He did it on purpose! But as it was, there was nothing I could do about it. 

"Don't look so smug. . .but fine - you can stay." I grumbled before I turned on my heels. Better not to look at this ridiculous scene. "Now if everyone would please sit down so that we can get started. Magnus?" I gestured him to speak, trying my best to ignore Ryker's attempts to get in. 

Magnus stood, raising a brow at Ryker who finally succeeded to press himself into the room, almost knocking Snotlout from his chair with his long tail in the process. The boy cried out in protest and Ryker snorted before trotting to the far end of the room. Valka chuckled as she sat down. After a few heartbeats, Magnus cleared his throat and got straight to the point.

"The council has asked you here to settle a debate. Today we need to decide the fates of Drago's supporters as well as of a woman who, alas, turned out to be behind the attempted assassination of our chief. The army of Drago Bludvist has laid waste to our island and the calling for vengeance among our people is getting louder with each passing second. However, as a matter of justice, we allow one representative to speak on his and the prisoner's behalf." 

At the other side of the table, I saw Eira sitting next to her brother. She grimaced as she moved her right arm, her shoulder bandaged where the arrow had pierced her. What was it about her? She had saved me twice in the previous days but at the same time she willingly gave Lilly to Krogan. Most people did a pathetic job to hide their true motives and to get into their minds, discover even their darkest secrets was my expertise, but Eira was a different story. Still after all this time, I felt that I hardly knew her and I could not deny that it intrigued me beyond compare. This woman was more than a piece in the game - she was a player. My eyes traveled up to her face when I noticed her looking at me. Our eyes met and her lips upturned into her signature smile. I smiled back. 

There was movement in the doorway. I shifted my gaze, startling from my thoughts. 

"Woah...I'm coming - no need to be so pushy..." rang out the voice of the dark haired man I met before, Eret, if I remembered correctly as he was hauled into the room by two of my guards. His hands were shackled in front of him. Dark circles under his eyes did nothing to disguise his exhaustion. It did not surprise me, the cells we kept the prisoners in were not what one would call comfortable, located deep within a cave of the island's mountain. It was where we used to keep captured dragons before - safe and away from the townsfolk. 

The door was closed behind the guards and Eret dragged into the middle of the room. Robert followed their movements with a concerned frown on his face and from one of the riders came an excited gasp. Raising a single brow, I let my eyes wander between Eret and Ruffnut, who waved at the dark haired man with a wide grin on her face. Given the look Eret gave her, he was as irritated by this as I was. Well, there were more important things now than to wonder about that. Leaning back in my chair, I addressed the foreign dragon trapper.

"It's my understanding that you have been chosen to speak on the prisoners behalf. . .Eret was it?" 

The chains rattled as Eret turned to face me, his brows raised in mockery. "Eret, son of Eret - finest dragon trapper alive if you'd please." 

"If you insist." I replied dryly. Ryker let out a low growl somewhere behind my back and the hint of fear in Eret's eyes thoroughly amused me. Maybe his presence proved to be good for something after all. "And what tribe do you belong to? Given your accent and the tattoos I'd presume you hail from the north." 

"My people are the Sami." Eret replied, his expression soured as he took in the people who were about to decide his fate as well as the fate of his fellow trappers. 

"The Sami, aye? What do fishermen and reindeer breeders have to do with Drago Bludvist?" Gorm sneered before he brought his mug back to his lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ryker's head appear next to Gorm's face, sniffing at the drink in obvious interest. Gorm almost jumped out of his chair, ale dripping from his nose as he coughed violently. The riders snickered and I rubbed my temples, inhaling deeply to combat the familiar feeling of annoyance rising in my guts. 

At the same time Eret fumed in anger. He took a step forward, but was blocked by the guards at his side. "Not all of us are fishermen or farmers! I am a dragon trapper! And Drago? Well he didn't leave me much of a choice - in fact he could be very convincing..." As if to prove his point he fumbled at his vest and tunic (as good as he could with his hands restrained) to reveal the same crest that Drago had branded into Lilly's flesh. I leaned forward as my interest sparked up. This man knew how it felt to get branded - maybe he would prove to be useful after all. That is if the council decided to let him live. As a chief I had the last say of course, but I would respect the decision of the majority. 

"A slave he is." Gorm spit out as soon as he remotely regained himself. "Well that makes things easy - let us count how many of the men are marked already. The rest shall receive our crest and then let's sell them. Strong lads like this one fetch a nice price on the slave market, especially down in the south." 

All heads turned to Gorm.

"What?" Robert asked, his brown eyes curdled with distaste.

"Oh I would totally buy him." Ruffnut sighed, a dreamy expression on her face as she rested her head on top of her hands. Tuffnut made gagging noises at her side. 

Gorm chuckled. "As it is, it will cost a fortune to bring our tribe back to its old glory and since dragons are not to be sold anymore..." his nose wrinkled in disgust as he shot Ryker a side glance. "...why not use what we already have. It's not an uncommon thing to sell prisoners of war, wouldn't you agree chief?" 

"It is not uncommon indeed..." I said, stroking my beard in thought. But what would Lilly say if I agreed to this? 

"Are you joking?" asked Eret in obvious distress as he searched to meet my eyes. I paid him no mind, turned to face Gorm instead. 

"...though I consider it unwise." 

The elder man looked taken aback, opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Magnus. "I agree with the chief. The prisoners would hardly make good slaves and it would cost too much time and effort to force them into obedience. Our town is in ruins, we have other problems to care for now, so I say we should set an example and execute them." 

"Aye, I agree." Jan, another member of the council pounded his fist on the table. "My brother died in battle, let them pay the price. Let's draw an eagle on their back!" 

Valka huffed in disgust and Snotlout's eyes went wide. "Are you talking about the eagle I think you're talking about?" 

"Aye, boy. Such criminals deserve the blood eagle."

"That's a bit unfair, don't you think? Most of us didn't follow Drago out of conviction but out of fear." Eret said, doing his best to seem indifferent but his face had taken on a sickly pale color as he turned to the only person he could lay his hopes on. "Robert...don't you want to say something?!"

The young chief took a deep breath as everyone's attention turned to him. "Eret speaks the truth. Most of the men followed Drago out of fear, though I have no doubt there are still some who would try and rebuild his force."

"That's why we should kill them all and be done with it." Jan said. 

"All you think about is killing!" Valka huffed. "Has there not been enough bloodshed already?"

"I agree and that's why I would like to suggest something." Robert looked at me for a confirmation to go on and I nodded my head in approval. "Eret here has proved to be a friend to me and my people. I would like to bargain for his life and the life of his crew."

"What next?" Gorm flared up. "Throw them a feast at our brother's graves?" 

"Hold your peace, Gorm." I warned "I will hear him out." 

Robert gave a grateful nod. "I am very well aware that my request might appear incredulous to you, but in exchange for every man of Eret's crew I offer you two of mine. They shall stay on your island for as long as you see fit and help you to rebuild the town. Also there are still members of Drago's inner circle among the prisoners and I know their names..."

"And you would give me said names?"

"I would."

I felt my brows furrow in thought as I tapped my fingers on the wooden surface of the table. "Why?" 

Robert exchanged a quick glance with Eret, who clung to his friend's words with flattering nerves. One could almost presume they had talked this out before. My eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"In my people it is just the thing to punish the leaders of our enemies for their crimes. It proved to balance the need for vengeance with the least loss of life. Eret may be a fine trapper as he calls himself, but he had no influence on Drago in any case. And with the warlord gone, I say let's execute the remaining generals and show mercy to the rest."

"Monstrous! This is monstrous! " Gorm bellowed, sending drops of spit into the air. He wanted to say something else but Magnus beat him to it. 

"Not at all. I think we should consider it. Let us execute every leader and send their heads home with their remaining people. Let word spread what happens to those who dare to threaten our tribe."

Folding my hands on the table, I hummed in acknowledgement before I shifted my gaze to Eret once again. "I admit this does sound fair enough, but then again why _should I_ spare you? Even though I appreciate Robert's generous offer, you will surely understand that our loss was greater than that."

"I would be willing to pay a fine too - as would be everyone of my fellow trappers...as a compensation for your loss and the destruction..." Eret added quickly. He would do anything to save his skin it seemed.

"A fine you say?" I let his words sink in. We were indeed in need of gold, but could I risk setting dragon trappers free? After all this was about more than just my tribe, it was also about the dragons we freed and after my experience with Fulgur I could not go back and discard them as _just_ animals. "What about the dragons? You know what my sister did, what we do. Are you going to hunt them again?" 

Eret looked uncomfortable, shifted from one foot to the other and I could practically hear him thinking. After exchanging another glance with Robert he finally found his voice again. "Well with Drago gone I lost my best employer so I guess this business holds no future for me. I will lay it down, you have my word." 

"Yes, but your word isn't worth much, now is it?" Then I turned to Robert. "I am willing to consider you offer Robert, under the condition that he..." I pointed at Eret "...stays on my island as my servant until all debts are paid off." 

The dragon trapper opened his mouth to object but Robert shook his head and Eret closed his mouth, glaring at me instead. My lips upturned a little. It felt good to be back in control. 

"I agree." Robert said.

"Very well. Though it isn't my decision alone, the majority will decide." As I said this, Magnus got up from the table and handed everyone a little rune stone, then two bowls were set up in the center of the table. "Everyone who thinks we should show mercy on Drago's men and accept Robert's offer throws his stone into the right bowl, everyone who disagrees and thinks we should execute them all throws his stone into the left bowl. You may cast your votes now and then let us move on to the next point." 


	97. Chapter 96 - The living and the dead

**Lilly's POV**

„Hic-Hiccup?" I chocked out, not able to wrap my mind around what just happened. What was wrong with me? I never seem to act the way I am supposed to...one second I am pouring my heart out to the man I love and the next...I'm expected to deal with something like _this_...but my reaction must have been the worst possible thing to Hiccup. _Oh gods - I didn't think it was that bad, but everybody else would have known probably. I'm just a stupid girl who knows nothing but her dragons...whatever I touch, I break...but I cannot let him go like this._

Ignoring my protesting limbs, I jumped out of the bed and staggered towards my door. I found a grip at the door-frame as dark spots danced across my vision – too much movement too quickly. „Hiccup..." I breathed, nausea swirling unrestrained in my empty stomach and my head swimming with regrets. 

No answer.

Taking a deep breath I tried to calm myself and took a small step out into the hall. Surely he couldn't be far.

I stumbled forward, almost tripped on my way down the stairs as forming tears blurred my sight and the next thing I knew was ice cold rain slashing into my face. The entrance door fell close behind me with a low creak. I instantly wrapped my arms around my chest against the cold, I forgot that I was still wearing nothing but my torn nightgown.

„Hiccup!" I cried out once more - to no avail. My teeth began to chatter as I was soaked in icy water. I came too late - Hiccup and Toothless were gone and it was impossible to tell where they had taken off to. I managed a few more steps before I let myself fall to my knees. The cold seeped into my feet and spread painfully throughout my body, the frigid wind poking at me like icy fingers. _Why couldn't he hear me out? Why couldn't I just kiss him?_

A raw cry rose above the sound of the pouring rain and I was shocked when I realized that it came from me. I dug my fingers into the mud in an attempt to ground myself, not caring how dirty they got. Tears threatened to spill over but wouldn't come, in the distance I could hear the ocean's waves breaking at the cliffs. Desperation held my heart in an iron grip and I was tired of it, so tired...but there was also something else smoldering just beneath the surface, a deep anger that I couldn't quite put my finger on but that felt familiar at the same time - like a shadow lurking at the back of my conscious mind, a faint memory of another creature's emotions. What was happening to me? I only had a moment to wonder as the sound of flapping wings drew closer and for one second I dared to hope that it was Hiccup coming back for me. Heart leaping, I raised my head. 

It was not Hiccup. 

I had barely time to register what was happening when I suddenly found myself sheltered under a large purple wing. I gasped as I pushed myself up into a sitting position and stared into gentle yellow eyes.

_"You must not freeze ñuha dāria (my queen). Stay warm."_ The voice of the Deadly Nadder was a gentle sound as the dragon scooted closer to me, wrapping me up under its wing and sharing its body heat with me. 

"What...?" I tried to speak but the words died in my throat as a shudder ran through my body. It felt like my frozen limbs were coming back to life. The sound of beating wings increased and my confusion made way to utter disbelief as more dragons landed on the meadow, their murmuring voices filling my head as they came closer. The Deadly Nadder that kept me sheltered lowered its head and slowly I placed my hand on its snout. The dragon closed its eyes and cooed. Something touched my knee, I looked down with a gasp to see it was a young Terrible Terror staring up at me with big eyes. What by all the gods?

_"I feared I would never witness this again._" Another voice filled my mind, drowning out all others and my heart skipped a beat at it. 

"Grandfather..." My voice was barely audible. The surrounding dragons lifted their heads, moving to the side to make place as the blind silver dragon landed a few feet away from my spot and folded his large wings. Raindrops made their way over smooth scales to the ground making them appear as if they were made out of water itself. 

"_Look at you, child, look at you_." he chuckled, his voice a sound like chiming bells. 

There was no holding back. He was here - he was really here. I scrambled to my feet, out under the Nadder's wing and in a heartbeat I was at his side. I buried my head into his broad dragon chest, my arms reaching up around his neck. "Oh grand-...grandfather...I am so sorry." Tears came fast now, turning to steam as grandfather kindled lightly, whiffling smoky breath over my hair. "I was too weak, I couldn't save you...I didn't want to leave you behind...I can't save anyone...I'm so sorry." On and on, I murmured, telling him everything that weighed on my heart and grandfather let me talk till I had no more words.

"_What are these tears_?" he rumbled. "_It's in weakness that true strength is born_."

_"But..you died..." _

_"Don't weep over the dead, my child, but care for the living. I knew what I had to do from the very moment I saw you and just look around. I just hoped you would find your way to our island sooner. Maybe the letter wasn't my best idea_." 

_"What letter?_" I asked, confused, before I quickly added "_I wanted to come! I wanted to fly to Sapphire Island but I...Viggo wouldn't let me...he said it's too dangerous..."_

"What is done, is done, my love. There's no need to mourn about the past. I want you to look around, look at all these dragons, they are free. My mission is done." 

Eventually I let go of grandfather's neck and let my gaze wander over the gathering dragons. My heart pounded faster as I noticed all their eyes were on me. "_Why didn't they fly away - to their homes? Why are they here?_" I breathed.

_"They are all here for you - to see you and to thank you._" 

I inhaled sharply. This couldn't be. _"Th-thank me?"_ I breathed, shaking my head slightly. 

_"Yes Lilly. When you broke Undegon's power you freed them and now they are all here to see you, Lillian dāria zaldrīzoti._" Grandfather lowered his head and I could feel his warm breath on my face. _"Queen of dragons."_

My heart nearly stopped its beat. "_Wh-what...? You are wrong, I am not their queen, I can't be...I am not a dragon... damn it I am not even a whole person anymore!_"

Grandfather only chuckled at my cursing. _"Scarred flesh doesn't change who you are my love. You are my granddaughter, Bryanna's blood, heir of the first dragon and the woman, queen of dragons...who is there to protect them if not you? There are greater threats out there than Drago...will you let them fall back into slavery?" _

The dragons had come closer and I gasped as one of the smaller Terrible Terrors, a green-brownish one, landed on my right shoulder and cooed. The little dragon's tail curled around my neck and his warm breath tickled against my skin. Grandfather chuckled once more. As I stared into this innocent, little face, my mood shifted. Now I felt my anger rising like hot lava. My hands curled to fists. _"I won't."_

**3rd Person POV (about same time as Lilly's conversation with Hammond)**

The waves broke around the rocks in the shallows, their foam crests becoming chaotic lace over the dark blue. Hiccup stood at the edge of the main gangplank at the docks and watched it swirl, mesmerized, as if the movement of the water could somehow drown his pain. He held his tears back as he and Toothless rushed through the town, not wanting the hunters to see him cry, but standing here all alone left him struck by his emotions. The desolation he felt was all consuming, his tears mingled with the rain as they fell down in a steady stream and soaked the ground.

Hiccup clenched his hands to fists as he noticed a little stone lying a few feet away from him. With trembling fingers he reached down to pick it up. He stared at it for a moment before he couldn't take it anymore. His scream was pain put into the air as he threw the stone as far as he could, his voice breaking into a sob as he watched it disappear into the depths of the ocean to be never seen again - just like his father.

Toothless stepped forward, nudged his rider's side, ready to listen to whatever he had on his mind. Hiccup's breathing came too quickly as he turned to look down at him.

"Th-thanks bud...I...I just don't know what to do..."

Another nudge to his side followed by a sad purr. Hiccup let his hand run over his best friend's dark scales, his thoughts wandering back to Lilly and to what happened in her room. The rush of anger was gone and now guilt was gnawing a hole in his stomach.

"Do you think I overreacted?" he muttered.

Toothless made a sound that Hiccup knew was his _I'm not sure about this._

"Maybe I have. Maybe I should have stayed." Hiccup sniffed. He felt bad for reacting the way he did. Lilly was panicking and he failed to realize it. He shouldn't have let jealousy rule him.

"It's just...Viggo is...he's always around her bud...do you think she needs him more than me?"

Toothless grumbled, another sound that told Hiccup he didn't know. A shaky sigh escaped his lips, he had no idea why he thought Toothless would be helpful on this topic - he probably just needed someone to talk to. A shiver ran through his body as the rain continued to pour down on him, causing his hair to cling flat to his face as he debated with himself whether or not he should go back to Lilly and try to talk things out. Before he could make up his mind though, a large figure landed a few feet away from him and Toothless on the gangplank.

"Hiccup?"

He turned around to see Astrid jump off Stormfly and run up to him, her hood drawn deep into her face to protect her from the rain. Her forehead wrinkled in concern as soon as she was close enough to notice his red and puffy eyes.

"Hiccup...what are you doing here?"

Hiccup shook his head, not trusting his ability speak at the moment. He swallowed thickly, avoided to meet Astrid's gaze as his emotions boiled up once more. He knew Astrid wanted to help, but how was he supposed to explain what was wrong if he didn't even know that himself. It was complicated and he felt utterly lost. Then, unexpectedly, Astrid pulled him into a hug and after a moment of hesitation, he allowed himself to cry into her shoulder but was unable to hug her back. Hiccup felt even worse because of it. Here he was, getting emotional support from one of his closest friends but was not able to return it. Astrid seemed to be okay with that though. She didn't say another word, but waited patiently for Hiccup's tears to subside.

After a time, they did and Hiccup felt like he was able to speak. He pulled away, managed a thankful smile, but it was Astrid who broke the silence first. "Please Hiccup...don't shut me out, tell me what's wrong."

A ragged breath left his mouth as he brushed strands of his wet hair out of his face. "I...I don't know Astrid...it's just...everything..."

"Is Lilly awake yet?"

He nodded, clenching his hands to fists again, not sure if he should tell Astrid about what had happened between them.

"So...how is she?" Astrid asked tentatively. "She must be relieved it's over."

"No." Hiccup answered and his chest tightened painfully as all too fresh memories came rushing back into his mind.

"No?" Astrid looked up at him in disbelief and Hiccup realized she may get his words wrong so he hurried to clear things up.

"No...I mean yes in a way she is. It's just that she...she thinks she's worthless Astrid." he uttered weakly as he felt fresh tears well up in his eyes. He had to close them for a moment to combat the urge to break down. That was one thing that had hurt him most after Lilly woke up: seeing that _thing_ burned into her chest. To know that she got stripped off her human rights and he was unable to prevent it was almost too much for Hiccup to bear. He should have known better than that. He should have not let himself get caught, chained up and tortured leaving him weak and useless to everyone.

Astrid's frown deepened as she spoke, startling Hiccup from his thoughts. "Did she say why? I mean she hardly has a reason to. Drago is dead. The dragons are free and so is she. And above all that she has you - you love her, everyone can see that. Surely she must too."

Hiccup bit his lip. Her words were like an arrow through his heart. He so desperately wanted to tell Astrid the true reason why Lilly believed what she did, wanted to tell her about the brand, but he wouldn't do that. He would not betray Lilly like that, it was her place to decide whom she wanted to know about it and not his.

"She lost Shadow...she's in too much pain to see anything I guess..." he uttered, his hand reaching out to stroke over Toothless' head. The dragon gave a sad purr. Hiccup swallowed thickly, losing Toothless was something he would rather not think about...he didn't think he could handle it.

"And you lost your father." Astrid stepped closer, reached out to scratch Toothless behind his ear as she tried to make eye contact with Hiccup. He refused, turned to stare out at the rough sea instead. Yes he lost his father - his dad and it was his fault. His lips trembled as pictures of the last few days crossed his memory. How happy his dad had been at the feast, dancing with his mother... It was too much, the dam broke.

"They wanted to marry again, Astrid." he sobbed, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to keep his composure. He could not break down again. "I have never seen my dad so happy before, it was like finding my mother finally made him complete again. He had such great plans...and now...now..." He couldn't bring himself to continue.

"Oh Hiccup...I am so sorry..." Her voice sounded utterly crestfallen. "It would have been a wonderful idea...when did he want to do that?" 

Hiccup managed a nervous laugh, reached his hand up to scratch his soaked hair. "Uh...actually...at the wedding of Lilly and me..."

Astrid's eyes grew wide and before Hiccup's mind registered what was going on, he felt a hard blow to his right shoulder. "Ow! Wh-what was that for?" 

"Are you serious Hiccup?! What else did you do while we were gone?! Marry _her_ \- that will change everything for us, for Berk!" she exclaimed, resting her hands on her hips but her voice softened again as she noticed how Hiccup's shoulders sagged. "But its all right I guess...it's been a lot to take in since Drago's defeat, I know that. Oh Thor there will be quite the turmoil when we return to Berk. You need to be crowned as chief first and then we need to arrange the ceremony, Viggo will probably bring his whole tribe...we need to build more huts..." Astrid lost herself in her thoughts and Hiccup didn't know what to do. The knot in his stomach tightened as she continued. He feared he would be sick right here at the shore. 

"Hiccup? Are you okay?" Astrid's voice had taken on a worried tone as she realized Hiccup's discomfort. Tears filled his eyes again, but he looked grimly determined as he spoke. 

"I can't do that Astrid." 

"What?" she asked, bewildered.

"Being chief...I am not ready...I can't..." he was struggling to find the words. "What will our people say, Astrid? What am I going to say? It is my fault my dad came after me and Viggo. It is my fault he is dead and they will know it, Astrid, they will know. I will know...I cannot do that..." 

A hand touched Hiccup's shoulder and he found Astrid looking up at him. "But you know that Stoick wouldn't want you to blame yourself for any of this, right?"

The words were like a punch to his chest but Astrid was relentless as she continued. "Listen to me Hiccup. Your father always believed in you, he knew you would one day take over Berk and be the best chief we ever had. I am sure about this..." 

Hiccup let out a mirthless laughter. It was hard for him to believe. "Well great for you..."   
He could hardly stand this conversation any longer. This was surely not what his father had wished for and how could he ever be a good chief...nothing of this would have happened if he hadn't left Berk in the first place. He kept his thoughts for himself. "I am freezing...we should go inside." 

"Hiccup will you hear me out please?" 

"I am sorry Astrid...I appreciate your effort but I can't talk about this right now...maybe later just not now..." he muttered, trying to fight the urge to break down again. He had never felt this broken before. "Come on bud." Hiccup walked away from Astrid, back up to the town but she followed on his tracks. He wouldn't turn and suddenly Astrid froze, just as they reached the end of the main gangplank. He silently hoped that she gave up. 

"Hiccup...your dad..." she called out over the rain and Hiccup stiffened. 

"Please Astrid, stop! I don't want to hear what my dad thought I would be! I am not...I don't know what I am..." he yelled back, his nails digging deep into the palm of his hands as a new wave of desperation and anger swept over him but Astrid didn't listen. 

"No, no! Hiccup! Look - it's Stoick!" her voice was high-pitched in shock. 

_What?_

Hiccup spun around and gasped. "Oh my Thor..." 

There, at the shore, was Jali and right in front of him...in front of him lay a big mass of fur and red hair. Hiccup's legs trembled violently as he stumbled towards the water. Stoick's face was hidden in the sand but seeing the sickly blueish, color of his big hand was enough to make him feel sick. _Oh great Odin. How is this possible?_ Panting, Hiccup dropped to his knees. "You..you found him...y-you found his body..." he whispered and Jali bowed his head, purred a little. Nausea clawed at his throat and he tried to force down the bile but it was too late. There was a gentle nudge to Hiccup's side (Toothless) and a shocked cry behind him (Astrid) as he threw up everything his stomach could give. 

\----------

**Time skip to the evening**

A tent was built up where they laid Stoick's body out in state. Viggo had servants set up a brazier in each corner of the tent and Nanna had thrown a substance onto the braziers before she left the tent, so that they flared and then smoked. Almost immediately, the room had filled with a pleasant scent, covering the lingering smell of decay. 

"Thank you Viggo. This means a lot to us...to have the chance to say goodbye." Valka said as she stepped to Viggo's side inside the tent. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and watched the dragon rider's standing around their fallen chief. The pain on their faces was visible for everyone but the worst was Hiccup. He had crouched down, burying his hands into his hair and rocked back and forth as his friends tried to comfort him. Memories jostled for attention, of his own father's pale face, of himself weeping in secret over lost hopes of getting his father's love and in that way he envied Hiccup. Stoick had been a true father. 

"There's no reason to thank me. It's the least I can do." Viggo said, keeping himself composed as ever. He couldn't let the Berkians see how much this scene touched him. He drew his gaze away from Hiccup and cleared his throat. "I'll take my leave now, so you can talk in private. Lilly is probably wondering about Hiccup's whereabouts, I'll tell her." 

Valka nodded. "Tell her I am glad she's back with us." 

"I will." Viggo said, bowed his head slightly before he left the tent. There was one more person he wanted to talk to before he would visit his sister.   
  
  
  


Hour after hour passed and evening turned to night. One rider after the other left the tent, squeezing Hiccup's shoulder and whispering words of comfort. Valka wished them a good night before she went over to where Hiccup was sitting on a wooden chair in front of Stoick's body. He hadn't changed his place for hours. Valka placed a hand on his shoulder as she stood behind him and she could see her own pain reflected in his face. His tunic was still damp beneath her fingers and her motherly heart clenched. This boy would catch his death if he didn't get out of this wet clothes soon. 

"Son, you should leave too. You need to change your clothes or else you'll get sick." she began hesitantly. 

"I don't care. I can't leave him." Hiccup muttered, his eyes never leaving Stoick's body. 

Valka sighed, walked around to face Hiccup and knelt down in front of his chair, taking both of his hands in hers. How big they had become over the years, but his eyes were still the same when he was sad, the way he drew his brows together made her see the little baby in the crib once again. Tears formed behind her eyes, but she smiled at her son. "You can never leave him and he will never leave you. He is here son, in you." 

Hiccup closed his fingers around hers and gently squeezed. "Thanks mom...b-but I..." 

"Sh, sh, it's all right. You don't have to say anything, I know. But what do you think Stoick would say if our places were reversed - if he was here with you now."

That made Hiccup actually smile a little and Valka's heart leaped at it. "He would probably kick me out and say I am not allowed to come back until I wear something dry." 

Valka chuckled. "Well I couldn't have said it better and by the way, I think Lilly would want to see you." 

"I am not so sure about that..." Hiccup mumbled, his voice faltering as it trembled with emotion. Valka frowned. 

"Why wouldn't she?" 

"We...uh...we had kind of an argument and...oh who am I kidding...I was acting like an idiot mom..."

"Then go and find her. I am sure it's nothing that can't be resolved and if you are feeling miserable then she is likely feeling the same." Valka tried to reassure him but Hiccup didn't seem convinced. He shifted on his chair. "But I..." 

"I would like a moment alone with your father." Valka admitted and Hiccup met her eyes, his gaze softened. 

"Okay mom, I understand. I'll come back later though." He promised. 

Hiccup stood and Valka followed. She put her arms round her son in a careful hug and was surprised how tightly he clung to her. "I can't believe it." Hiccup spoke into her hair. "I can't believe he's lying there. Isn't that stupid after everything? I saw Toothless shoot him. I saw him sinking. But still I keep thinking any moment I'll wake up and it'll all have been a dream and he'll be stroking my head, like when I was little."

"It's all right to feel that way son." Valka pulled back, looking up at his tear-streaked face with her own eyes brimming. "It's all right." 

When Hiccup had left, Valka let out a deep breath. She wiped the back of her hand over her eyes. "We did well on our son, Stoick." She whispered to her husband's body as she stepped closer to him. "Or you did well...I know you told me it was all right but I am filled with regrets...I barely know my own child and it is entirely my own fault..." She tried to speak on, but was lost in tears. Not caring about the uncomfortable wetness, she curled her arms round her husbands side, as good as she could manage and sobbed into his cold chest, almost waiting for the familiar sound of his heartbeat, that would never come again. After a long moment, Valka regained herself a little and pushed herself up on her elbows, her hands stroking over Stoick's armor. "Thank you for loving me through all those years. Enjoy Valhalla, my love, you deserve it. But when you're sitting in Odin's hall, promise that you won't forget me..." she breathed and the flames in one of the braziers flickered. Valka shuddered, for a moment she thought she had felt a faint touch on her shoulder, or was it just a breeze? Whatever it was, it had her heart beat faster as tears poured down. "My sweet Stoick...haunt me...don't leave me...until the day I'll join you in Valhalla and there we will dance again and laugh again and love one another..." 

Another breeze swept through the tent and the flames in the braziers died. Though she was left in darkness, Valka felt strangely peaceful. Her husband would watch over her and Hiccup. Always.


	98. Chapter 97 - Feelings are complicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter and probably the next one too are set at the time after Viggo left Stoick's tent and at the same time Hiccup, Valka and the dragon riders are there to say their goodbye's to their chief.

**3rd Person POV  
**

Hope was stalking a mouse through the debris. A little brown mouse had found itself in the middle of the ruins of the market place and no matter how quickly it skittered across the surface, Hope's larger claws covered more ground. Viggo watched the macabre game with amusement as he made his way back to the great hall. The mouse seemed terrified but determined. Hope loomed over it, her tail wiggling with excitement as if it were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Viggo doubted Hope would eat the little animal, she just enjoyed playing with it. The sound of heavy footsteps rang out behind him and Viggo chuckled, pointed to the little Night Fury and the mouse.

"Wouldn't that be something? A little snack."

Ryker snorted behind his back. He'd followed Viggo around the whole day, very much to his brother's annoyance. Time to return the favor.

"Why so broody?" Viggo smirked. It felt good to tease his brother even if he happened to be a dragon now. "No, don't tell me. It must be hard to be on a dragon's diet for you. I know how much you hate fish." His smirk grew wider as Ryker growled. Viggo ignored him, tapped at his chin as if deep in thought. "Hm, let me see." he mused "If you behave like a good dragon I might consider saving you a barrel of ale."

That was too much. A sizzling sound was the only warning Viggo got, but it was enough to jump out of Ryker's fire range just in time. Hope squeaked and jumped as the blast hit a stone wall next to her. The mouse took its chance and hurried to find cover under a pile of rocks. "Oh don't be like that!" Viggo huffed as he brushed himself off. The flame had been a tad too close to his butt for his liking. "There will be no ale if you roast me."

Another growl rumbled from Ryker's throat but Viggo paid him no more mind as they continued through the streets. Viggo was careful to avoid the countless slush puddles that covered the ground. He wasn't in the mood to get his boots all muddy. Thank Odin, the rain had stopped at last.

In the great hall Viggo was greeted by the aroma of a hearty stew and the sound of chattering voices. Almost the whole town had gathered in the hall to receive their dinner after another day of hard work. Standing behind a steaming cauldron was the person he had hoped to find. A gentle smile adorned her face as she served one bowl after the other to the waiting people. Viggo made his way through the crowd with Ryker following closely. The mood in the hall shifted as the people's eyes fell on the dark dragon. Their feelings towards dragons were divided after the battle.

"Tell me what you want, I don't trust these beasts." Viggo heard someone say. "It's only a matter of time till they'll start stalking our cattle. Wild dragons wandering freely around our island...it's a disgrace." "Aye, there were no such things when Vidar was our chief." 

Viggo cursed under his breath as he pressed himself past the conversation. He was tired of the endless discussions, of the endless doubts of his people. Stubborn knuckleheads of Vikings they were. Viggo would have to think about another solution concerning the dragon issue - a compromise to meet both his peoples and the dragon's needs. One thing was quite clear to him - there was no going back to their former ways, not after all that he discovered about himself and his family. But that was something he would have to deal with later.

"Would you mind?" Viggo reached out for the soup-ladle in Martha's hand as he reached her, his fingers briefly grazing hers.

Taken completely off guard, Martha jolted, a high-pitched squeal escaping her lips. The ladle and bowl flew from her hands, splattering hot stew all over Viggo's arm and her face. Heads all around the hall turned towards her and Martha looked as if she wished the earth would open and swallow her whole. Viggo quickly drew his hand back, biting down a hiss of pain as he gazed down into Martha's wide, shocked eyes. Her cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of pink and he couldn't help but chuckle at her flustered state. "My apologies Martha, I did not mean to scare you."

"Chief Grimborn...my gods...I'm so sorry..." Martha stumbled on her words as she fumbled with the apron of her dress.

"Don't." Viggo grabbed her wrist to stop her attempt to wipe his arm. "There's no need to stain your dress for me."

"But...but your tunic..."

"It doesn't matter, I can change when I'm home." Viggo said.

"You can." Martha's eyes went from Viggo's hand around her wrist up to his face and the blush on her cheeks deepened every so slightly. Ryker laughed in his dragon way as his head appeared over Viggo's shoulder to sniff at him, but Viggo slapped his snout away with his free hand. Ryker snorted but retreated.

"At least I smell delicious now, even he thinks so." He joked and gestured to the black dragon to put Martha at ease. Her response came unexpected though.

"You do." She breathed.

Viggo raised a single brow at her and Martha's free hand shot up to her mouth as she realized what she had just given away.

"The stew! I...I meant the stew...and now you're covered in it...so...uh...not that you smell bad without stew...not at all chief Grimborn...gods you bathe more than any man on this island...just...just not like...gods what am I saying..." she stammered out, her face scarlet. Viggo found that he very much enjoyed her blushing.

"You keep track of my baths?" he asked, lips upturning into a smirk. His voice dropped in tone as he leaned forward. "My dear Martha, have you been spying on me?"

Martha looked as if she might faint. "I...no...no...I didn't!"

"It's alright Martha, I'm just jesting." Viggo laughed as he straightened, but it did nothing to calm the girl's nerves and for a moment Viggo wondered if she had indeed spied on him one time or another. Maybe he went too far asking her that.

Martha lowered her gaze and as his eyes followed, Viggo realized he had yet to let go of her hand. Clearing his throat he did so, folding his hands behind his back. "I didn't mean to intimidate you, forgive me. In fact I came here to thank you." He fell back into his usual demeanor.

"Thank me?" Martha looked up at him under her lashes, the firelight accentuating the color of her auburn hair. It was braided into a bun at the back of her head and for a second Viggo imagined what it would look like if it came loose to fall over her shoulders. What was he thinking? This was more than inappropriate. Shaking his head lightly, he spoke up again.

"Yes. Not everyone would have climbed on the back of a dragon to bring me a message. You showed true bravery. I admire that."

"Oh...that...I just wanted to help." Martha turned her head away and bit her lip. Viggo's hand reached out to touch her cheek of its own accord, making her look at him.

"There's no need to be humble, Martha." He uttered as his gaze fell lower, to the dark bruises that stained her neck and a rush of anger swept through him. "How's your neck?"

"Healing. Others suffered way worse." She muttered under her breath. _Always so selfless_. Viggo thought. A virtue he never quite understood but marveled at the same time.

"What did I just tell you?" Viggo said.

"I'm a servant, I was raised to be humble chief Grimborn."

"Call me Viggo."

Martha's eyes widened as his thumb brushed stew from her cheek.

"Viggo." She whispered but then his name was repeated by another voice and whatever they shared in that moment was ruined. Instantly Viggo drew his hand back and turned to see Eira walking up to him. Her eyes narrowed as she let her gaze wander between him and Martha.

"Can we talk - in private?" Eira asked, cocking her head. 

"Eira...of course." Viggo straightened as he turned back to face Martha. "Excuse me Martha, I should not keep you from your work."

"Oh...yes...I guess I should wipe this up now." Martha smiled a little as she gestured to the mess on the floor but Viggo didn't buy it. He knew people well enough to see that she was hiding her disappointment. Martha was not the first woman to give him that look and it had Viggo pondering for a moment. What was it about Martha? She was just a servant and yet...

"Well?" Eira pressed, her voice shaking Viggo back to reality. He nodded briefly before he walked over to Eira but only made it half-way. Viggo gave a cry as he tripped, flailing his arms to regain his balance, but it didn't help much. He came down on his forearms, cushioning his fall, a small hiss of pain escaping his lips. What the Hel?

There were other voices crying out and before Viggo could even look for the source of his fall, warm hands wrapped around each of his arms. His blinked in surprise as he was hauled upwards, turning his head from left to right. Eira and Martha were both at his side, staring at him with concern in their eyes and Viggo could swear he glimpsed a black tail drawing back out of the corner of his eye. Somewhere behind him, Ryker chortled. Oh someone could definitely forget his ale tonight.

"Are you alright?" Martha wanted to know but Eira was quick to interrupt her.

"I got him, so you're help is not needed_,_ thank you very much." She snapped and Viggo noticed Martha tense.

"Eira..." He warned but Martha already let go off his arm, fighting back tears. Without another word she turned on her heel and scurried away. Viggo gave Eira a pointed look but she only shrugged.

"What?"

\-----------

"Don't close the doors."

"My lady, you'll freeze. Your brother will not be pleased to see you bed-ridden for weeks, not to mention that he'd blame me for any harm that befall you."

"In that case you'd better stoke the fire, because I will have the doors opened. I want the dragons to come and go as they please."

Lilly, wrapped in a thick fur blanket, sat in Viggo's chair in front of the fireplace of their living room. Magnus had found her outside with Hammond and the dragons and it took a lot of convincing from his side to get Lilly back inside and changed. The moment she noticed Jali's voice in her head she wanted to run to him and bury her face into his scaly chest, but Magnus and Hammond wouldn't let her and what was worse - even Jali told her she should rest before she would get to see him. She was reluctant at first but finally she gave in, but not without putting up another fight. And here she was, trying to give Magnus the same look as Viggo did whenever he gave him an order. To her surprise, it worked.

Magnus sighed deeply. "As you wish, my lady." He walked over to the fire, added several logs to the flames, where they crackled and sizzled. It didn't take long for the pleasant heat to spread and Lilly found herself hypnotized by the dancing flames. The green-brown Terrible Terror who landed on her shoulder outside was sitting on her chest, needling the fur blanked with his claws, like a cat. He blinked his green eyes and purred. He was perfect. His scales gleamed. And most important of all. He was free. And safe. That was what Lilly had to tell herself, that everything...every loss was worth it in the end if it meant this little dragon and hundreds of others were free now. If she could only convince her heart to believe that too. All it felt was emptiness. Jali had found Stoick's body, but Lilly had been too scared to face the riders and especially Hiccup after the incident earlier this day. It was because of her that their chief was dead, they'd probably hate her. Despite the warm fur, Lilly was shivering, guilt gnawing at her inside.

"Here. Eat. You must regain your strength."

Lilly startled from her thoughts, lifted her eyes. Magnus held out a plate with roasted chicken and cooked greens for her and the Terrible Terror sat up straight in her lap, tilting his head.

"I am not hungry." she muttered even though her stomach rumbled at the delicious smell. The last time she had eaten was days ago at the feast.

Magnus' forehead knitted in concern as he studied her face. Another sigh left his lips and he went over to grab another chair and place it in front of Lilly's. "You can starve yourself, but it will not bring her back." He made sure to keep eye contact as he sat down. "Try the chicken at least...please my lady."

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped. _Don't you know, that I am nothing anymore_?! She almost wanted to add...but she couldn't, her throat tightened as the brand on her chest stung. There had been blood on her nightgown earlier - all the stretching had caused the crust to break open and it burned. Magnus, however, didn't look offended by her harsh words, his expression remained gentle and calm as ever.

"Would you have me call you my queen instead?" he asked, his eyes glimmering in the firelight as he leaned forward.

Lilly's heart dropped to her knees. "Excuse me?"

"You have her eyes, you know that?" Magnus whispered with emotion. "I think it is time to give it to you."

"What are you talking about?" Lilly shook her head, not understanding but Magnus only smiled as he held up the plate once more.

"Eat and I shall show you."

Lilly bit the inside of her cheek, pondering Magnus' words. Was this just a trick to get her to eat? Oh godsdamnit! She needed to know. Magnus chuckled as she grabbed a piece of chicken from the plate. The Terrible Terror flicked his tail from side to side and chirped, hungrily. Clearly pleased with her compliance, Magnus set the plate aside and went over to a low cupboard.

_"Are you hungry?"_ Lilly reached out to the dragon in her lap. "_You have this." I don't deserve it anyway.  
_

She sat up straight, shredded the meat and fed it to him, peeking over her shoulder to make sure Magnus wasn't watching. The little dragon swallowed greedily and when the meat was gone he pawed her hand for more. _"I'm sorry, that's all."  
_

"Here you go." _  
_

Lilly jolted a little when Magnus appeared again and gasped when her eyes fell on the object he was holding out for her. _  
_

"What's that?" she whispered but it was another voice that answered.

_"That's Brisingamen, my dear granddaughter." _

"Brisiga-what?" Lilly stuttered out loud, her eyes following Magnus as he stared out the window. Outside was Hammond, his silver scales standing out brightly against the darkening sky.


	99. Chapter 98 - Prophecies

Brisingamen. What an odd name. Lilly weighed the strange jewel in her hand. It was made of solid gold, a gold-brown amber at its center, framed by the wings of two golden dragons who's claws touched a similar amber on each side of the necklace. The Terrible Terror in her lap sniffed at the object but lost interest as he found it was nothing to eat. Lilly knitted her brows, not sure what Magnus or Grandfather expected her to do. She didn't care for gold and jewels or for any possession to put it bluntly.

"I'm not going to wear that." she said, searching Magnus face, certain to find him disappointed but that was not the case. The older man only smiled as he let himself drop back into the chair across from her, a beautiful decorated chest in his hands.

"That is alright, it is not necessary."

"Then what do I do with it?" Lilly snapped impatiently. Magnus knew more than he revealed and it irritated her more than she liked to admit. The man didn't even flinch at her rude words, instead he stayed perfectly calm as he folded his hands on top of the chest. He studied her for a moment before he turned his head to Hammond who was still outside the window. It was him who spoke now.

_"You keep it. Until it's time."_ Hammond's voice was a gentle whisper in her mind, like clear water bubbling from a spring.

_"Time for what, grandfather?"_ Lilly asked as she looked into blind eyes. Hammond closed his eyes, his dragon face looking utterly peaceful as if he was seeing something that she could not. He hummed and the sound vibrated through Lilly's head and down to her toes. Her fingers clutched harder around the necklace, she felt light-headed.

_"To go home."_ Hammond's voice rumbled and her heart skipped a beat. What was going on? Why did she feel like this? _"Where all dragons go. Where we belong." _

Lilly's eyes widened in confusion. _"Wh-what do you mean? This is not where I belong?" _Something stirred deep within her at Hammond's words. Maybe there was a reason why she didn't feel like she belonged here after all? A pang of guilt followed that thought almost immediately and hit her right into her chest. Nanna had made so much efforts to bring her in contact with the people...but then again...it were the same people who abandoned her, who were willing to give her away to Drago without a second thought...why should she even feel at home here? Viggo. He was the reason...and Nanna...and Martha...should she really give up that quickly? Her chest constricted as panic took hold of her. She didn't know what to do! Home...not home...and what about Hiccup and Berk? No, no it was all too much...

"I _am_ home!" she gasped out, trying to convince Hammond as much as herself and in her panic she forgot to speak in her mind. "This...this house with Viggo is the closest to home I ever had...well after...the island of...of..." She couldn't bring herself to say Shadow's name. It hurt too much to think of her. Lilly's throat closed up and it became harder to breathe. "And now...now you say that I am not supposed to stay here? That I should go somewhere else...alone?"

Lilly almost jumped out of the chair when Magnus placed his big, calloused hand on top of hers. The Terrible Terror gave a startled squawk. "Calm, my lady. Just breathe. Lord Hammond was suggesting nothing of the sort...not yet." He gave the silver dragon a side-way glance before he continued. "Do you know the legend of the father of dragons and the woman?"

"Yes...grand- Lord Hammond told me back at Dra-...at his fortress." Unwanted tears welled up in Lilly's eyes as memories rushed back into her mind. A whip slashing - dead dragon eyes, the smell of their rotting flesh - blood so much blood spilling from her grandfather's throat. Drago did this...his men did this...how people could be so evil was beyond her grasp. Humans were unpredictable but dragons weren't...dragons she could trust. She pressed the Terrible Terror tighter to her body. Lilly was trembling, the anger she felt threatened to break to the surface and she very suddenly wished Magnus would just leave her alone. But he didn't. Instead his voice startled her from her dark thoughts.

"I see. And do you also know what happened to the dragon?" Magnus voice was soft and something about it had her temper cool down a bit. She didn't think she could speak though and so she just shook her head.

"Let me tell you then." Magnus sat up straight to tell his story, his gestures graceful as he spoke. "The dragon visited Sapphire Island every year to see his daughter grow up, but he could never stay long. Freya had given him the order to populate Midgard with dragons and the Guardians of dragons were chosen by the goddess to help that cause. So each time the dragon came back to the island from Asgard, he brought dragon's eggs with him. Created by the gods themselves. The dragons used to hatch in the center of the city, near the large silver lake. Every child, woman and man on Sapphire Island would attend to see a new dragon species come to life. Anybody could be chosen to care for the new hatchlings until they were grown enough to leave the island and find a place of their own. The gods rejoiced in their creations as did the Guardians of dragons. Great festivities accompanied the hatching process, feasts that could last a week or longer. People danced and sang and played with the dragons." Magnus' voice grew in strength retelling this tale, turning musical and deep: "Over time, things changed. Fewer and fewer eggs came till one day the dragon didn't bring any at all. Instead the dragon seemed tired and his scales had turned grey. The woman and his daughter, who was a full grown woman by then, were worried, their sorrow great as the dragon told them it was the last time for him to come. His duty was fulfilled, it was time for him to find rest. It is said that when they parted, the dragon kindled near the woman's face and her tears turned to amber. An everlasting symbol of their love."

Lilly's thumb brushed over a smooth amber on the necklace, completely enraptured by Magnus' words.

"It was the last time the dragon was seen. Legend has it that he flew out over the ocean as far as to the end of the world until his strength left him and he collapsed into the sea where his fall created a huge crater and his body bursted into a cascade of light. This was the birth of what the Guardians of dragons called the _Ruarza Vys_." Magnus stopped a moment to catch his breath.

_Ruarza Vys_. The name seemed to resonate in the air between them. "Go on." Lilly whispered.

Magnus bowed his head and continued: "It's the land of the dragons. A place where they can hatch and grow in peace, far away and safe from human kind. But the story does not end here. The woman mourned the loss of her dragon for the rest of her years. One day, when her daughter had a family and children of her own, the woman went into the sea and prayed to Freya to take care of her daughter and bring her back to her beloved one. As she did this, she dropped her tears of amber into the water, one by one by one."

"And then?"

"The goddess accepted her offering and the woman turned to ocean spray, she was carried by the waters till she reached her dragon's grave where she rushed down into the crate as a giant waterfall. The dragon and the woman were reunited and are watching over all dragon kind since that day until the day of Ragnarok - when our world ends and the gods will die."

Lilly's eyes were wide as she envisioned all this. She looked down at the necklace in her hand, licked her lips before she spoke. Her mouth was dry. "And these are...?"

"The tears? Well...I am not certain but since Freya handed the necklace to your Berkian friend herself...I think we can assume that they are. Do you see these three bigger ambers here?" Magnus leaned forward, pointed to each gemstone as he did so. Lilly nodded, sucked her lower lip in. "It is said that when the woman vanished, her voice still echoed over the sea - carrying her song back to Sapphire Island. It was like a sirens call, so hauntingly beautiful that it brought the people to tears. Let me see...if I can remember it..."

Lilly held her breath as Magnus rubbed his forehead, the tension in the room seemed so thick that she didn't notice more dragons had entered the room and ventured closer. She jumped a little when Magnus clapped his hands - his lips upturning into a smile as he recalled the song. He cleared his throat before he started to sing, his voice baritone and melodic. 

„My tears in the ocean turn amber and gold,  
I can't believe he had to part,  
Our love so pure, made the flowers unfold,  
But now I am left with scars upon my broken heart.

I forget how he smelled, I forget how he smiled,  
But I shall always remember our love,  
I seek for his charm in the eyes of our child,  
And I hear his voice in the sound of her laugh.

The wyrd of my precious jewel is to perish,  
when the bear weds the dragon the people shall weep,  
there was one thing to do, one promise to keep.  
weep, my love, for all you hold dear and you cherish."

"Wait...is this?" Lilly stammered, her eyes growing wide.

Magnus gave her a pointed look at her interruption but answered anyway. "Yes...I think the song referred to your mother leaving Sapphire Island. This is a prophetic song. But let me go on, my lady... where was I? Ah...yes...hrmhrm...

Now is my time, I leave the realms of men,  
But this is my message to the ones I have lost,  
One day the dragons shall come home again,  
Their song will be burning like fires in frost.

Behold, my love, a dragon reborn,  
Her tears in the ocean turn fire to ice,  
A child who bears the sign of the sea,  
When four seasons wane, for this bright dawn,  
The slayers, the wicked shall pay back twice,  
Not the sound but the broken will be given the key."

"I don't understand..." Lilly breathed, her brows furrowed. The puzzling words echoed in her mind, but none of them made sense.

Magnus chuckled a little. "That's the thing about prophecy, isn't it? Only to be understood when it has happened and it's too late to change it."

"And you...how do you know all this? I didn't take you for one who cares that much about dragons...you hunted them, you killed them..." She clenched her fists. Why was it so hard to keep her anger at bay? It was new to her, she had never thought she could feel this way, but just the thought of someone harming her dragons had her seeing red, made her want to draw blood. Maybe it was because of Shadow's death, it would go away eventually. That's what she told herself.

"Indeed, I did. There was nothing else for me to do to..." Magnus rubbed at his forehead, he looked older all of the sudden and somehow...relieved to finally let go of everything he kept for himself for years. How dare he! Lilly fumed.

"To what!?" she barked and the Terrible Terror in her lap jumped. The dragons around her sensed her shift in mood and some of them growled lowly.

Magnus inhaled deeply, chanced a quick glance at Hammond outside the window before he turned back to Lilly. "I was not born on this island, my lady...I am no hunter...but I had to make sure I can stay here...to protect her..."

"Whom?"

"Your mother...Bryanna..."

Lilly gasped loudly, but Magnus quickly shushed her. His expression was gentle but stern as he took her hands in his. "Whatever happens my lady, you must not speak a word about any of this...you and your brother are the only ones who know and Lord Hammond considers it the best to keep it that way."

"B-but what about Hiccup?" 

\-----

Eira and Viggo walked side by side through the town's ruins, down to the docks. Now that the rain had stopped, the port was a flood of Solsteinn soldiers who busied themselves in loading and repairing their ships.

"Your men seem busy." Viggo commented as they approached.

"They're preparing our departure." Eira gave him a sideway glance and shrugged. "Robert's presence is needed back in Solsteinn. Especially now - with our new arrangement."

Viggo hummed in acknowledgment. "An honorable gesture of your brother. He was quick to give up your business."

"Robert always listens to his gut when he makes decisions." Eira sighed, but Viggo could practically hear her smile with it. "Also he has another reason...I think he wants to impress someone."

"Oh?" Viggo smirked as they strode past Eira's men up to the flagship. "Never let your feelings for a woman get in the way of your decisions - that's what my grandfather used to say."

"And of course you always listened to him." Eira's voice was cool as the ocean water. They had reached the gangplank to her ship and she turned her whole body to face Viggo, a smile tugging at her lips but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Isn't that true?"

Viggo gazed down at her and searched her face. There were circles under her eyes and she seemed thinner. He had not noticed. "Almost. There was one time I didn't listen."

Eira shifted from one foot to the other. "Viggo I..." she cleared her throat as her voice faltered. "I wanted to apologize...for not being honest with you. I did it to protect my brother. Can you understand?"

Viggo rubbed his temples, inhaling deeply. "As it is Eira, I can. But I admit, I am not sure what to make of all this...you let Krogan take Lilly and yet you were under the first warriors to throw yourself into battle and you saved me life...twice. You are a mystery to me, Eira." He chuckled a bit, gave a half shrug. "You should feel honored. Not many people manage to keep secrets from me." He tried to jest but his smile froze as he met Eira's eyes. They were brimming with tears. Viggo couldn't help himself, he reached out and brushed a tear off her cheek.

"Viggo...there is something I wanted to tell you." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I regret what happened between us. I have made many bad choices. I said once that I never wanted you to come back...I didn't mean it. It was the worst thing I could have said...and I am sorry it had to end like this."

The words were like a hard slap to Viggo's face and he drew his hand back. He had to swallow down a lump in his throat before he could speak again. "We both made bad choices, my dear. We had our plans but alas they didn't work. In the end, Viggo and Eira did not succeed."

Eira reached up to wipe her eyes with her sleeve as she nodded. "I am going to leave with Robert...he'll need me when he faces our council or they'll poison him on the very same evening." She huffed a laugh that ended with a yawn. "I am tired...I should go to bed."

Viggo nodded slowly, uncertain about what to add to that. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle even more when wet with tears. This was the woman he once loved with all of his heart and who broke his heart with just the same force. He would have died for her, he killed for her, he cried over her and most important, he swore to himself to get over her and yet here he was...not knowing what to do. He had never been good with emotions...feelings were hard to control and Viggo hated losing it. It would be for the best when Eira left, he was sure of it and though he should have known better, he wrapped his arms around her and Eira held on tight.

"Regret nothing, Eira. Our time was worth it."

Eira pushed herself up, her hands resting on his chest. The look in her eyes was so endearing that Viggo could hardly stand it. "My soul is conflicted, Viggo. I regret nothing and yet...everything."

Viggo couldn't recall who kissed the other first, but when their lips met it was like a spark igniting a fire. The kiss was desperate, electric, addictive. It was like Eira was made of bittersweet poison herself, clouding his mind and better judgment. He didn't care. Not now, not in this moment. Eira's hand slipped down to his, interlacing their fingers as he followed her onto the ship.

\--------

Hiccup sneezed two times as he stepped up the path to the Grimborn house. Toothless nudged his side with a worried purr. 

"I know bud...I should really get out of these clothes..." He muttered, tried to smile a little at his best friend but failed. He was cold, the dampness of his clothes had leaked through his bandages and his wounds stung with it. Not to mention that he was tired as Hel, but as it was Hiccup couldn't think about going to bed - sleep wouldn't find him anyway. Too much was weighing on his heart and the sight of his father's body - cold and bloated would surely haunt his dreams for countless nights to come. And then there was still Lilly...they needed to talk. 

Hiccup was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice the entrance door of the Grimborn house was wide open until he almost bumped into Fulgur. His head shot up and he drew in a sharp breath as he looked around. The rooms around were stuffed with dragons - as much as could fit. "Whoa...what's going on here?" He breathed and Toothless grumbled, telling him that he had no idea. Hiccup shook his head in bewilderment. Did Viggo know about this? 

"Lilly!?" He called into the hall but got no answer. Toothless tilted his head, purred and out of the dragon crowd jumped little Hope, nudging her father's snout. Hiccup frowned. If Hope was here then surely Lilly must be too. "Lilly!" He tried again, walking towards the living room where he saw a fire burning. 

Silence. 

"Lilly, are you here?" Hiccup stuck his head into the room but it was empty aside from the dragons. Two chairs stood near the fireplace, a fur blanket thrown over one of them. She must have been here. Hiccup let out a frustrated sigh as he turned, pressing himself through the dragons as he headed to the staircase. "So much about talking this out..." he murmured crestfallen. He took the first step when he suddenly heard someone call his name. It was barely above a whisper and Hiccup almost mistook it as being only in his mind. But then he heard it again. 

"Hiccup." 

He turned and froze when he found Lilly standing in the entrance door. Her hair was a tousled mess and only the half of her blue tunic was stuck into her pants and of course she wasn't wearing any shoes. His heartbeat quickened with emotion as he let go of the banister and took a step towards her. He could see her hands clench open and closed and she trembled, she must be feeling as insecure as he was. "Lilly, I..." He began as he limped over to her, ready to apologize, but didn't get to finish as he suddenly found himself drowned into a mass of red hair. Without a second thought, Hiccup hugged her back, resting his head on top of hers. "Wh-where have you been?" He managed to say after a while. 

"Jali." Lilly whispered back, her voice hoarse with tears. "He found your dad."

"I know." Hiccup answered, swallowing thickly as Lilly pulled away to meet his eyes. 

"They will make you chief now." 

"Yes, they probably will..." Hiccup whispered, letting out a shaky breath. Not that he felt ready for that - not at all. His mind wandering back to his father and Berk. 

Lilly's heart nearly broke as she stared up into Hiccup's emerald eyes. She pressed even closer, but the tighter she held him, the more she felt him slipping away. Hiccup did not belong here - he belonged to Berk. And she didn't know where she belonged. 

"Kiss me, Hiccup." She said, but she was the one who leaned in and pulled him close. Her hands went into his hair as their lips met, wet and salty as their tears mingled together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey dear readers...so I am curious...
> 
> Who do you prefer for Viggo until now - Martha or Eira?


	100. Chapter 99 - Funeral

**3rd Person POV **

Drip.

The sound of liquid dripping onto wood let Hiccup stir from his sleep. He kept his eyes closed, not quite ready to face the world again just yet.

Drip.

He gave a small huff, shifted his head.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Gods that was annoying. He tried to turn around in his bed but it seemed that his arms were stuck. There was a dark chuckle right next to his ear.

_What by Thor? _

Reluctantly Hiccup opened his eyes and gasped in terror when he found himself in a dark, cold chamber, his arms tied tight above him. His stomach churned with dread as his eyes fell on Lilly who was chained to the opposite wall of the small room, her eyes wide in fear. Hiccup tried to move, to call out for her but a searing shot of pain stole all air from his lungs.

Drip. Drip.

He glanced down to find a puddle of red at his feet and he wanted to be sick at the sight of it. It was his own blood trickling down his back and pooling on the floor. Drago stepped in front of Lilly, a glowing iron rod in his hand. No! Hiccup fought as hard as he could against his bindings but it was no use. He knew what was going to happen, knew Drago was going to brand her.

Lilly squirmed and screamed as her dress was ripped from her and she cried out to Hiccup for help. He needed to help her! He needed to get to her, but he couldn't! Then the rod touched her bare skin and Lilly's pained screams drilled like spikes into his ears. The rod was removed and Lilly's head sagged down, the sickening smell of burnt flesh stung in Hiccup's nose and he felt tears run down his face as Lilly sobbed. But it wasn't over yet - Drago chuckled darkly as his belt dropped to the floor and Lilly shrieked and screamed like she never screamed before when he forced his way inside of her.

Horrified, Hiccup screamed along with her, screamed so hard and loud that he didn't even notice they weren't alone in the chamber. Krogan stood next to Drago, holding his mother in front of him, a dagger pressed to her throat. Then he killed her, sliced her throat with an evil smirk. Valka made a gurgling, sickening sound as she dropped to the floor. Next was Toothless. He didn't even try to fight back as Krogan sliced through his throat, he just stood there with big, blank eyes. A second later he dropped to the floor, his blood coloring it crimson and Hiccup wailed. But Krogan wasn't done yet. Next he killed Astrid, then one after the other of the gang, slicing throats and throwing their bodies to the side as if they meant absolutely nothing. Hiccup kept screaming, didn't know how to stop. He was surprised he could still see through all his tears.

Then his dad appeared. Hiccup cried out for him - pleaded for him to do something, to help him, but Stoick didn't move. He only stood in the corner of the chamber, letting his eyes wander around the bloodbath. Hiccup sobbed when his dad's eyes finally met his. "Dad please..." he begged, beyond despair. His heart throbbing in his chest, an evil reminder that he was still alive while all his friends were dead. Stoick just kept staring at him. The room seemed to fill with cold, grey fog and everyone vanished. Everyone except Stoick. His green eyes bored into Hiccup's and finally he spoke.

„A chief protects his own...what did you do? You're a disappointment, you're not a Viking...you are not my son..."

Then he vanished as well and Hiccup wanted to scream but chocked on it. It was all his fault! He tried to scream again but it wouldn't work. He struggled against the ropes holding him, thrashing about in furious rage and despair. He needed to help his friends but failed...he was not chief...he was not even a proper Viking...no, he was useless...Hiccup the Useless...  
  


Lilly awoke with a start as she felt a sharp pain on her scalp. Her breathing hitched in panic for a moment. Drago. This was Drago grabbing her by her hair. Her chest heaved as she was on the verge of hyperventilating when suddenly a pained shout shook her from her panic attack.

"Dad please! No!"

_Hiccup?_

There was another pull on her hair and a knee kicking against her thigh. Inhaling sharply, Lilly took hold of Hiccup's fist in her hair and tried to loosen his grip. She could see his face contort in pain and terror out of the corner of her eye and his whole body was covered in cold sweat. He groaned again and pulled harder and that had Lilly tear up.

"Hiccup!" She cried out, bringing her hand down to shake him awake. "Hiccup it hurts!"

It didn't do much to wake him, he seemed too far gone in whatever nightmare he had. "Hiccup please!" She cried and struggled harder against his grip. Toothless jerked awake and rose quickly from were he was sleeping in the corner of Hiccup's room, his expression all worry and concern. "Toothless! Do something!"

The black dragon rounded the bed quickly, pushed himself up next to his rider to nudge his side with a worried purr. When that didn't work he started to lick Hiccup's face while Lilly continued to struggle and cry and finally Hiccup's eyes darted open.

"Wh-what...?" Hiccup gasped out. He was shuddering, sweating, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. "Tooth-Toothless?"

"Hiccup...please..." Lilly whimpered and it seemed that just then did Hiccup realize his vice-like grip on her scalp. His eyes grew wide in shock.

"Oh my gods Lilly - I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he stammered, drawing his hand away as if he'd got burned. Lilly turned around to face him, but Hiccup had his head turned away, refused to look at her. He was still trembling violently. Toothless rested his head on his lap and rumbled at Hiccup in concern. Shaky hands reached out to pet the dragon's head.

Lilly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. „Hey..." she whispered after a moment, tentative fingers reaching out to touch Hiccup's back. „It was just a dream..."

„I hurt you." His voice came out raspy and barely above a whisper. His shoulders shook as he tried to choke back his tears.

„You didn't mean to...it...it's alright..."

„No! No it's not...I shouldn't..." His voice broke down into a sob. Lilly's heart clenched painfully at seeing him this way. She had never witnessed him being so desperate, she had never seen him so...broken. He had dreamed about Stoick, who was dead - because of her. She drew in a shuddering breath, her hand dropping away from Hiccup's back. She didn't know what to do.   
  
  


Hiccup didn't want to cry but he couldn't stop. He'd hurt Lilly - even in his sleep. Useless. He was utterly useless. He could save no one. He wanted to scream.

He didn't though. He just laid there, petting Toothless' snout, shaking and crying freely. He was terribly aware of the lashes across his back and cuts on his chest, no matter how he turned on the bed, the pain was always there, he couldn't get comfortable. His stinging wounds a constant reminder of his failure. Hiccup felt Lilly's hand slip away from him and that hurt too, but he still couldn't bring himself to face her. Not until he heard her gasp loudly.

"Hiccup! The sheet ... you're bleeding..." Her voice was a high pitched cry.

Bleeding. It made sense given how much his back hurt. His wounds must have reopened.

Reluctantly he turned his head as he tried to sit up, releasing his breath in a hiss at the pain. Toothless made another sound of concern as Hiccup drew his hand back from him to touch his own back. His fingers came back red when he lifted them. "Oh..." He said weakly.

Lilly was shifting next to him and in the next moment the blanket was tossed away from him. One of her hands found the way to his cheek, it was shaking just as much as his own. Taking a deep breath he finally forced himself to meet her eyes. They were wet with tears too.

"Y-you need new bandages...I need to get Nanna..." Her voice shook as she spoke.

"I'm fine..." He wanted to protest but Lilly cut him off, her grip tightening on his face as she stared down at him.

"No, you're not." Her voice had grown way harder all of the sudden and Hiccup almost flinched at the sound. He had not expected that. "Don't you dare to move while I'm away. Keep an eye on him Toothless."

Toothless purred in agreement and Hiccup swallowed thickly as he watched Lilly leave the room.

They would burn his father's body today and then they would expect him to take over his role as chief of Berk. But how could he do that? He was not worthy. He failed. „Oh dad...I'm so sorry..." Hiccup cried again, harder than he ever had before. He missed him. He missed him so much.

—————-

Viggo ripped a piece of bread from the loaf and was just reaching out to cut a piece off the goat-cheese set out on the breakfast table when a green Terrible Terror landed right in front of his plate. The dragon tilted its head to sniff at the cheese.

"No, shoo!" Viggo exclaimed, waving his hand around vehemently to scare the little dragon off the table. "That's not for you."

The dragon squawked but stayed, its yellow eyes staring intently into Viggo's - challenging him. He pointed the tip of his knife at the dragon as he spoke. "Don't give me that look - I've dealt with Terrible Terrors in my house before and you don't want to know how that ended."

The dragon squawked again, licked its snout and stared. Viggo sighed as he cut a piece off the cheese and took a look around the room, he'd rather not have any servants see what he'd do next and think of him as soft. When he found that he was alone, he tossed a small piece of the cheese into the dragon's direction. Fulgur raised his head from where he lay curled up next to the fireplace and observed the little Terror with narrowed eyes.

"Fine. But just one piece." The dragon caught the cheese in the air and swallowed greedily. Viggo shook his head as he took a bite off a similar piece. He could hear Fulgur give a snort and with a roll of his eyes Viggo tossed him a piece too. More dragon eyes wandered to him and his breakfast. Viggo sighed. He was not exactly happy to find his house filled to the brim with dragons when he returned from Eira's ship this morning, but as it was there was nothing he could really do about it. Lilly insisted on having them close to her and, at least for today, he was willing to grant her this wish if it helped her to feel safe. "It's all your luck that I love her so much." He directed his words at all gathering dragons after swallowing and the Terrible Terror ventured closer to his plate again. "Still you should not test my patience dragon..."

A knock on the door and Viggo looked up to find Magnus striding into the room. His greying brows arched as his eyes wandered between Viggo and the small dragon and his lips twitched as though he was fighting to hold back a smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation chief."

Viggo's eyes narrowed a bit at this. "I wasn't having..." Annoyance flared in his stomach as he watched Magnus' eyebrows arch a bit more. He put his knife back down and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the wooden table. "What brings you to me Magnus?"

The older man crossed the room to pour himself a cup of warm mead and let himself drop into the chair across from him. "The mother of the Berkian boy, Valka, she came to me with a request. She'd have us arrange a funeral for her husband that is worthy of his status."

Viggo nodded slightly. "A boat funeral. Well, Stoick shall have it. Let the men prepare a boat."

"That's the problem." Magnus said as he raised his cup. "We lack boats."

"What do you mean we lack boats?" Viggo asked incredulously as he watched Magnus take a large gulp of mead. He had plenty of small ships in his fleet, well at least before Drago's attack, but they couldn't all be gone, could they? Magnus swallowed, wiped his mouth with the hem of his sleeve before he spoke.

"Just that. More than half of our fleet is gone, we cannot waist another ship for a funeral."

"So would you have me bury Stoick in the earth like a common peasant? I might as well take the peace treaty with Berk and tear it in front of their faces." Viggo's gaze narrowed but Magnus was quick to interrupt.

"Of course not, that's why I'm here. I have another ship, one we can spare." He said, putting his cup back down on the table. "From your father." 

Viggo's breath snagged in his throat for a second. This was not what he expected and talking about his father was something he'd rather avoid. Magnus knew that and still he brought it up. "Are you telling me my father had a secret boat that I knew nothing of?" He huffed.

Magnus gave a nod. "Yes. Hidden in a cave on the other side of the island."

"A secret boat and a cave?" Viggo felt his muscles tensing, he shoved his plate away from him, his appetite now fully ruined. Magnus nodded again before he spoke. "Yes, your father used to spend quite a lot of time there. He never talked about this much but, as a young man, he wanted to be an artist and the cave was where he..." 

Viggo couldn't stand it - he fumed. "What's the point in telling me this, Magnus? If you found a boat then fine let's use this one for Stoick's funeral but I certainly don't have to hear about any cave my father used to visit to do Thor knows what! I forbid you to talk about him, do understand?!" His voice was tight with emotion and his eyes narrowed as he watched Magnus emit a long sigh.

"Of course, forgive me. I was under the impression that the Berkian boy losing his father might bring up some not so distant memories... about him. I know you had your differences, but there is so much about your father that you don't know..."

"And I don't want to know!" Viggo snapped. His chair scraped against the floor as he abruptly stood and the Terrible Terror gave a startled squawk. He could feel the tension in his muscles from his neck down to his fingertips, his jaw worked hard around his words. "I appreciate your effort Magnus, but I am not in the same position as Hiccup, I never was. I lost my father years before he died. Why should I care to know more about him, when _he_ never cared?" To that Magnus said nothing and Viggo turned to leave. "If you'll excuse me now, I have a funeral speech to prepare."

\------------

Lilly was standing at the window in the hallway, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she stared out at the ruins of the town, hazed in fog and the cold dew of dawn. The sound of distinct voices came from Hiccup's room interrupted by the occasional grunt or hiss of pain. Nanna had hurried to come over but upon their arrival Lilly had not been courageous enough to face Hiccup again. He was miserable because of Stoick and it was all her fault. Nothing of this would have happened if she hadn't left her island in the first place. Guilt ate a hole through her stomach and all of the sudden she found it harder to breathe.

She didn't need to turn around to know he was there when a hand gently squeezed her shoulder, she had recognized the familiarity of his footfall and smell of his leathers and the heady salt of his skin with the hint cinnamon from the bathing oil he used. "Brother." Lilly whispered, clasping the hand on her shoulder as she felt his presence wash over her like a sigh of relief. The knot in her chest loosened a bit and she found that she could breathe again. She turned around, meeting his soft but tired eyes that mirrored her own and Viggo moved his hand up to cup her cheek, stroking his thumb softly across her jaw.

"What are you doing here all alone, sis?" He asked, his eyes full of warmth as he looked at her, smiling quietly as Lilly leaned into his touch. She inhaled deeply through her nose and, her sense of smelling surprisingly sharper than usual, she noticed another scent on him. A mixture of wild wine and ripe berries. Eira. Lilly's chest constricted as she recalled her standing next to Krogan, staring at her with cold green eyes, like a cat would eye a mouse that was trapped in a corner. It was almost too much to stomach. She took Viggo's hand from her face, a shudder running through her as she turned her back on him again. "Hiccup's wounds...Nanna needs to tend to them, I cannot be there." She uttered quietly.

"Why is that?" Viggo inquired and Lilly could hear the trace of uncertainty in his voice. Tears filled her eyes but she determinedly blinked them away, focused on her own fingers instead as she placed them flat onto the windowsill.

"Stoick...it is my fault..." She admitted weakly, the first tear dripping onto the windowsill to leave a wet mark. "And Magnus told me I cannot tell Hiccup about Ryker and grandfather...about anything...and I...I feel that there is something between us. Like a mountain that I cannot climb...and it frightens me."

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and Lilly automatically leaned back when she felt Viggo rest his head on her shoulder. "Do not talk like this, little flower." He uttered softly, tucking a ringlet behind her ear and tilting her face up so that their gazes met. His was dark and troubled as he regarded her, eyes searching hers uncertainly as though he was afraid of what he might find – as though he no longer knew her as he used to before the Drago incident. "You must grant Hiccup time to mourn, he's going through a lot - to lose a parent...it hurts a great deal. And how do you think he would feel if he learns now that Ryker and Lord Hammond got to return - even if it's only for a short time - and Stoick does not...Magnus spoke wisely."

"But we never before had secrets between us." She whispered, sniffing back a sob as Viggo brushed another tear from her cheek.

"I am afraid that sometimes we don't have a choice." Viggo muttered, very quiet and Lilly swallowed, tasting the same salt in her throat that burned in her eyes. There was something else weighing on her heart.

"You smell of Eira. You've been with her?" She pressed out and Viggo's arms around her tightened a bit.

"Yes."

"So you forgave her?"

She could see Viggo's jaw work tightly as he considered his next words. "It is never easy when it comes to Eira, my love. But I believe her..."

"Do you now? Do you truly believe she can be trusted?" Lilly pressed, turning around in Viggo's arms and pulling away so that they were standing face to face. She clenched her fists in rising anger. "You haven't seen the way she looked at me...she actually _smiled_ Viggo when Krogan took me away."

Viggo closed his eyes for a moment as though struggling with himself. Then he exhaled, reopening them and gently brushing away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks as she'd spoken. "It pains me, sis, to look at you and know how you have suffered." His voice faltered with emotion for a second. "But I promise you, no one is ever allowed to harm you again and I beg you not to worry about Eira. Last night we talked and when she told me that she regrets what she did, I believed her." He paused and Lilly bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at him. Viggo continued. "Last night was also a goodbye. Eira will leave tomorrow with her brother as will the trappers and then we can finally live in peace again."

Lilly's heart almost stopped its beat. "What do you mean the trappers leave? I thought you'd have them executed?" She asked, shaking her head in confusion and the knot in her stomach only tightened when she watched Viggo stiffen as he struggled to find the right words.

"There will be executions. For the leaders of Drago's army. As for the rest, the council decided to let them go. Most of these men followed Drago out of fear - it would be unjust to kill them all." He tried to explain, regarding her carefully as she narrowed her eyes. Lilly's breathing was ragged, her heart racing as she tried to keep her rising anger at bay.

"So you let them go? Just like that? I can't believe it." She pressed out, her whole body trembling. How could her own brother do this? Couldn't he see that these men were evil? They would just start hunting dragons again in another place.

"I am bound to the council's decision, Lilly. There is nothing I can do about it."

\----------

Hiccup was the last one to reach the docks. Limping more than walking, he made his way through the crowd. He could already see it from afar, the small ship laying at anchor at the end of the gangplank, gently rising and falling on the waves, like a crib rocked by the loving arms of a mother.

The ship they chose for his father was as beautiful as it could be, a masterpiece truly and unlike any boat Hiccup had ever seen before. Made of white painted wood, the carved silhouette of a dragons head on both ends of the ship and decorated over and over with colorful patterns and designs, there were even full drawn sketches like that of a man aiming a bow and arrow at a running deer and a woman with long, red and wavy hair, her arms outstretched like a goddess as dragons surrounded her. It was hard to believe that Viggo's father was the creator of such fine artwork but then again what did Hiccup know about the former hunter chief. He was long gone and dead.

Finally Hiccup arrived at the end of the main gangplank and took a look around. The whole town had gathered to watch his father take his final journey to Valhalla. Viggo and Lilly were at his left side and Lilly gave him a sad smile as she walked up to him. He could not return it and his stomach tightened with guilt. Her eyes were brimming, but when she reached out to take his hand and squeeze it, he let her, inhaling deeply to combat the urge to just break down here in front of the whole Hunter tribe. On his other side stood his mother and his friends, their faces a mirror of the pain he felt inside. Eira and Robert were there too and Robert gave him a sympathetic smile. Hiccup acknowledged it with a small nod. Then he turned back to the ship and swallowed thickly as his eyes fell on the body inside.

His father looked peaceful as he lay there, surrounded by all the things he would need in the afterlife. Grains, barrels of ale and bottles of wine, meat, furs and fine looking clothes, an axe and shield as well as two daggers and several pieces of jewelry like a Thor's hammer pendant and golden bracers. All these things were offerings from the Hunter tribe and Hiccup had to gulp back his tears as he searched Viggo's gaze, bowing his head in a wordless "thank you". Viggo nodded back before he stepped forward and Hiccup felt Lilly withdraw her hand from his as he was handed a bow and arrow. Torches were lit all around him and two of Viggo's men stepped up to the ship.

They cut the ropes and Hiccup watched his father drift away. Viggo led the speeches honoring him. "This is how we bear witness. This is how we say goodbye. We honor Stoick the Vast, chief of Berk, warrior king, respected friend and beloved father. Our ancestors were at war with dragons for centuries, but today we form a new world of peace in their names. May the Valkyries summon you home and lead you to your rightful place in Odin's hall, for a great man has fallen." Viggo stepped back and Hiccup watched Lilly return to his side. He took in a shaky breath as he took the place where Viggo was standing only seconds before.

"Lo, there do I see my father." Hiccup said next, trying to choke back the tears burning in his throat. He swayed, but his friends held him up: Snotlout had Hiccup's left arm, Fishlegs his right. "Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers." He went on, seeing Lilly wipe away a tear out of the corner of his eye as she grabbed Viggo's arm. It became harder to speak with each passing word. "Lo, there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call me. They bid me to take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla...where the brave shall live forever."

The silver and black dragon flew in circles in the grey sky above but Hiccup couldn't bring himself to look up at them, he couldn't even bring himself to look at Toothless who was standing a few feet behind him on the gangplank and let out a mournful roar. He was probably feeling as guilty as he was.

Snotlout and Fishlegs let go and Hiccup dipped his arrow into the torch that was held out for him, setting it aflame. His wounds were stinging like Hel as he aimed...and fired. The flaming arrow shot through the air with a sizzling sound before it hit the ship, starting a small fire.

More arrows followed as his friends fired too, they shot through the air like a golden wave of shooting stars as the fell from the sky. Hiccup watched the first flames licking on the wooden mast, gradually getting bigger, ripping through the planks, taking away his father.

It was done.

Stoick the Vast was gone.

His dad was gone...dead...eaten away by flames.

Hiccup blinked rapidly as his tears came...he knew he should say something, do something to comfort his friends...his _mother_...but he couldn't...he couldn't.

Behind him his friends were mourning. Silent tears ran down Fishlegs' face and Tuffnut was sobbing loudly, his head buried into his sister's shoulder as she rubbed his back, her face stained with tears as well. Snotlout sniffed, kept rubbing at his eyes and mumbling something about dust in the air. Even Astrid was crying. Hiccup could hardly look at them. The images of his nightmare were still too vivid in his mind. No one of his friends would have been hurt if he hadn't shot down Toothless in the first place. His father would still be alive. It was his fault. He couldn't protect anyone...not Lilly...not his friends...no one. How could he ever be a worthy chief to them? That was something his father had been good at, or Astrid...but not him. He was nothing but useless, always had been a hiccup, a mistake, a runt. The only thing he had was Toothless...without him he was nothing.

Hiccup startled a little as the bow fell to the gangplank with a low clank. He must've let it go without noticing. His vision blurred and his throat thickened with held back sobs - it hurt. He chanced a glance to Viggo, who stared at the horizon with his jaw tightly set. Lilly had her face buried in his chest and shook under her sobs and that had Hiccup crumbling on the inside. Why was she afraid to come to him? He hadn't seen her since she left his room in the morning and even now it seemed as if she was avoiding him.

Hiccup sunk to his knees, not caring that as the chief's son he was expected to keep his composure. They were Vikings - they were not weak. But Hiccup had never been a proper Viking, he knew that better than anyone. Even his father had said so three years ago.._.I wish you were not my son..._

"I'm so sorry dad..." Hiccup sobbed loudly, all dignity gone and he hurt too much to care. He barely noticed the warm touch on his shoulder until Valka's face appeared in front of his, stained with tears and when she wrapped her arms around him, Hiccup let himself sob into her chest.

"Everything is going to be alright, son." Valka choked out. "Your father is very proud of you."

If only Hiccup could believe that.   
  



	101. Chapter 100 - Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah I can't believe I am already at chapter 100!! Thanks very much for following my story this far if you are reading this - it is very much appreciated.
> 
> Tho since I don't get much feedback I am not sure if anyone will even reach this point, so if you do let me tell you how much it means to me, even if you are a quiet reader :)

Astrid couldn't stand seeing Hiccup like this. He was sitting at a table in the great hall, staring down at his untouched bowl of porridge and dark circles under his eyes. He looked like a shadow of himself. 

She let her own spoon drop into her bowl. "I'm done. We can't sit around here any longer." she whispered into Ruffnut's direction who was sitting beside her. 

"What do you want to do?" Ruffnut whispered back. 

"We need to go home, to Berk. We've been gone for too long." Astrid gestured to Hiccup from across the table. "And Hiccup needs to be crowned as chief." 

"Do you think he's ready for that?" 

"No." Astrid replied, feeling her heart sink at she took her best friend in. "But he has no choice." 

Making up her mind, she got up from from her place and walked over to Hiccup. It was hard to tell if he saw her coming or not, either way he didn't bother to look up as she let herself drop onto the bench beside him. His skin was pale and he looked thin, well thinner than usual that is. Astrid cleared her throat. 

"Hey." 

Hiccup startled and raised his head in surprise. Maybe he hadn't seen her coming after all. "Oh...Astrid...hey..." he muttered. 

It pained her to hear how weak his voice was. But there was no way she could ease his pain now, they would all have to let him mourn his father. Still life had to go on and so she decided to come straight to the point. "Hiccup, we've been on hunter island for while now. The war is over, everything is done, and now I think it's time for us to fly home." 

"Home?" Hiccup blinked several times, as if he had troubles understanding what she meant.

Astrid frowned in concern. "Yes, Hiccup. Berk deserves to know what happened to Stoick and also...to announce you as our new chief." 

Hiccup's eyes widened in shock, he inhaled sharply. "No...no I can't..." 

"What do you mean? Of course you can. We need to go home Hiccup, this is important!" 

"No, no you don't understand. I can't, Astrid...I can't be your chief. I am not ready..." His chest rose and fell rapidly as he trembled and Astrid watched in horror how tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. "They won't understand...they won't accept..." 

"Who, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, getting more worried by the second. "What will they not understand?"

Ruffnut and the rest of the gang gathered around the both of them, watching their leader and best friend with concern. Never before had they seen him this miserable. 

A single tear dropped from his eye, but Hiccup hurried to wipe it away and it almost broke Astrid's heart. 

"It's my fault...he's dead because of me..." He uttered barely audible. 

So that was what weighed him down. He felt guilty for Stoick's death. Astrid shook her head vehemently and placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "No one blames you Hiccup."

She searched her friend's gazes and they all nodded. Snotlout let himself drop onto the place to Hiccup's other side. 

"Yeah man, Stoick was a warrior and he died a warrior's death. We all know it's not your fault."

Hiccup bit his lower lip, unconvinced. "B-but the people...Gobber..." 

"Gobber of all people will understand, I'm sure." Fishlegs said, his voice soft and quiet. 

Astrid watched Hiccup nod ever so slightly and squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, we are the riders of Berk, we got to stick together no matter what."

"Thanks guys." He sniffed, lifting his head. "Has anyone seen Lilly?"

Anger flared in Astrid's veins. What kind of girlfriend was Lilly? She should be here and support Hiccup - yet again she was nowhere to be found. Of course she knew, that Lilly was a broken mess but she decided to ignore this for the moment. After all it was Hiccup they were talking about and no one had the right to make him miserable. 

\----------

"He's making a mistake."

"Even so, sis, it's his mistake to make. You can't change his mind." Lilly and Ryker were outside the dragon caves where Drago's men were held captive. The executions were about to take place today and afterwards Viggo would let the remaining dragon trappers go. She wanted to join everyone else in the great hall to receive the daily ration of breakfast but couldn't stand being there very long. Too loud, too hot, too many people. People that betrayed her, gave her away like meaningless cattle. She had tried to find Hiccup, but when she did he was circled and occupied by Astrid and the others and didn't even seem to notice she was there. She felt like an intruder to whatever moment they shared. So she left.

And now she was here, tracing a long scar on the neck of Krogan's former Singetail with her finger. A hot wave of anger washed over her as she imagined the abuse that poor dragon must have endured. "How does this not upset you? He's letting these men get away...just like this. Just because the council said so."

"That's what the council is for, Lilly. To make decisions." 

"Well what if they make wrong decisions?" She insisted and Ryker let out a deep sigh. 

"Then there's nothing we can do about it. Even less if Viggo approves of its decisions, believe me. I've dealt with our brother and his bullhead for long enough to know that. And now I am tired of it. I just want to go home." 

That caught Lilly's attention. She raised her head to meet her dragon brother's blind eyes. The Singetail rested its head in her lap and Lilly continued to stroke over its smooth scales. "Do you and grandfather really have to go?" 

Another sigh left Ryker's throat as he lifted his head towards the sky. "Yes, sis, we don't belong here anymore. This world is for the living, not the dead and our mission is fulfilled."

Tears brimmed behind Lilly's eyes but she refused to let them spill over. "But I don't want you to go...we didn't have enough time..." 

"Don't worry, we shall see each other again and when that day comes, I will bask in the tales of your and Viggo's glory and together we shall drink ale from curved horns."

"You and your ale." She laughed a little, though it tasted bitter in her mouth and Ryker chuckled. "Anyway I can't accept Viggo's decision. I want justice." 

"In a way I can understand your desire for revenge, sis. Your a Grimborn after all." A long sigh left Ryker's snout. "Only the gods forgive, but we are Grimborns. We never forgive. That's what our grandfather used to say and oh boy did he live up to this motto more than once."

"What?" Lilly turned her full body to her dragon-brother. "Tell me more." 

"Oh dear, I shouldn't have said anything. Forget it." He tried to wind himself out of this conversation but Lilly was relentless. 

"I want to know, Ryker, please. Viggo won't tell me anything about his past, but I know he treated his foes in other ways than this. I know he didn't let them get away so easily."

"And Viggo decided so for a very good reason. The less you know, the better it is for you." 

"On the contrary. Please, brother!" 

But whatever Ryker wanted to say next was interrupted by the flapping sound of large wings and Hammond appearing on the clearing. 

"There you are." His melodic voice resounded in her mind. "The time has come for our farewell."

\------------

Viggo ignored the calls and sighs from Drago's men as he made his way through the dragon caves to one particular cell. He knelt down in front of the bars and held a cup of water out between them for the crouched figure inside. 

"Agatha." he said, "I got you something." 

The woman lifted her head, her dark hair was a mess and the circles under her eyes were almost black. She looked utterly weak, however her eyes filled with contempt as they fell on him and she turned her head away again. 

Viggo sighed. "Have it your way then." He put the cup down inside the bars and drew his hand back. "You don't have to worry, I haven't poisoned it. No, I wouldn't lower myself to your level." His words were filled with disgust. Agatha shifted a little but remained silent so he went on. "In fact I came here to tell you that the council has come to a decision about your fate."

"Let me guess..." Agatha hissed as she finally moved, her long arms unwinding from around her knees and her dark eyes meeting Viggo's "it's not in my favor..." 

"Indeed it is not." Viggo hummed, his voice void from emotion. "And yet I haven't signed it yet."

Agatha tilted her head. "No?"

"No. I want to ask you one thing before I make my final decision." 

A shrill yet raspy laugh left Agatha's lips as she slowly crawled closer to the bars. In the dim incoming light she looked almost terrifying, more dead than alive with her pale skin and a hint of madness in her eyes. She came close to Viggo's face, too close for comfort and he inched back a little to bring more space between them. 

"Then ask...chief." she spat, before she reached for the cup and downed the water in greedy gulps, spilling her dress in the progress. 

Viggo wrinkled his nose. This woman was out of her mind. "Why, Agatha? Why did you poison me? You've know me my whole life, since I was a boy."

Agatha almost choked on her drink as she shook under another fit of mad laughter. It took her several minutes before she was able to speak and Viggo started to regret he came here in the first place. He should just execute her along with the others and be done with it. But Asmund had been one of his closest friends and in a way it pained him to see his mother succumb to madness over her son's death. 

"You killed my son." she rasped out once she regained her composure. 

Viggo's thoughts were confirmed. "Asmund was a traitor. You know our laws as well as I do. I had no choice. But you, you tried to kill your chief in cold blood. There's only one punishment for that." 

Agatha snorted but Viggo raised his hand to demand silence as he continued. "However I am willing to show my people that I am merciful. Thus I came here to offer you your life, if you'd openly renounce your accusations against me and my sister and go into exile. What do you say?" 

For a while Agatha remained quiet, then she leaned in very closely and Viggo had to lean forward to catch what she was saying. "I am indeed sorry...that I haven't used more poison. You and your family are scum." She spit into Viggo's face and he jumped to his feet, wiping his cheek in disgust. Fury rushed through his veins like molten lava. 

"Then your fate is sealed." he growled. 

Agatha just laughed. "I am not afraid to die." However her face faltered as she watched Viggo smile the cruelest of little smiles. 

"Oh no Agatha, that would be too easy now, wouldn't it? There is something far worse than death." he paused to take in Agatha's face, her eyes were blown wide with foreboding and Viggo felt the old familiar feeling of satisfaction for having such power over someone rise in his chest. 

"I am going to banish you for life. You'll be branded as an outlaw. A_ skógarmaðr_. Forever condemned to live in deserted places, outside of human society like a ghost. Whoever wishes to kill you can do so without consequences. Your property will be confiscated. Every day of your worthless life you will be forced to regret and remember your decisions and your crimes. This is my decision."

Agatha was not laughing anymore, she looked aghast and Viggo ignored her outraged cries and insults as he left the cave. 

Outside he let out a deep breath. Then his eyes fell on Lilly and Hammond and Ryker. Lilly waved him over and Viggo knew it was time for them to say goodbye. 


	102. Chapter 101 - Mercy or Justice?

Robert almost reached the gangplank when Eira called out for him.

"Where do you think you're going? We're about to leave." She came to a halt in front of him, hands on her hips, tilting her head up so that she could meet his eyes. "So?" she said, reminding Robert very much of their mother with the way she was tapping her right foot in expectation of an answer. He bit back a grin, it was funny how though he was the chief, his sister still tried to boss him around at any chance.

"Good morning, sis." Robert said, in a jaunty voice. "There's someone I want to see before we leave."

"So you truly believe you've got a chance with her?" Eira huffed.

"Well, I'll never know if I don't try my luck." He winked and turned away from Eira, who called after him to not take too long. Robert didn't listen. He hurried past the docks and the ruins of the market when he finally spotted her not far from the Great Hall, feeding her dragon.

His heart did a somersault at the sight of her and he ducked behind a corner, smoothing a strand of his dark hair behind his ear and checking his reflection in a puddle close by. He wasn't a vain type of guy, but for some reason he wanted to look as presentable as he could muster in front of the blonde Viking girl that won his heart. Robert released a deep breath through his nose and stepped back out onto the street.

Stormfly spotted him first. She clawed at the ground and let out a squawking noise as he neared them. Robert gulped, he didn't know if he liked being this close to an unrestrained dragon or not.

"A majestic creature." he said, mustering up all his courage.

Astrid flinched as he ventured closer, but when she turned to face him, her lips were pressed into a thin line. Gods she was beautiful even when she looked this grumpy. Robert ran a hand through his hair, his stomach knotted with nerves as he gestured to the Nadder.

"Yes, she is." Astrid snapped, "Why would someone like _you_ care?"

_Ouch_. Feisty.

Robert's lips quirked at her challenging words, he stepped closer with his hands folded behind his back. "When I was a young boy I used to hide in the forest whenever my mother was after me for some sort of mischief I caused." He glanced at Stormfly and his smile widened at the memory. "I remember watching a group of Nadders breeding at a clearing close to our village. You must know that in Solsteinn it is always warm, and we got meadows filled with a variety of flowers you can't even imagine. The smell - it's intoxicating and the fields and sky are filled with dragons, especially in spring. The Nadders the most beautiful among them - like living, colorful gemstones. Of course, as a boy, I was way too scared to ever go near them. But I always considered them wonderful creatures, and we never hunted Nadders."

"But other dragons - for their venom." Astrid said, her voice a tad softer than before as she put her bucket down.

"That's in the past." Robert said, meeting her eyes. A ghost of a smile played around her lips. "I wish I could show you sometime, so that you believe I am being honest with you."

"Well a check up might be necessary sooner or later." Astrid gave a half shrug and Robert's heart leaped. He took a step closer, reached out his hand.

"May I?" He eyed Stormfly with care and now it was Astrid's turn to grin.

"If she lets you."

"What if she doesn't?" Robert tried to hide his nervousness as he took yet another step closer. Stormfly tilted her head and squawked.

"Then it was nice knowing you." she said, nonchalantly and Robert paled. "Oh my, I was just kidding, here let me show you."

She reached out for her dragon and Robert did the same, their fingers briefly brushing as they touched Stormfly's smooth scales. A faint blush colored Astrid's cheeks and for a moment neither of them moved, caught up in a moment of charged, expectant silence. Robert's heart pounded hard in his chest. He licked his lips, but before he could utter a word, a horn resounded from the port. His mood fell at the sound of it.

"That's my sister." he said, drawing back his hand. "I have to go."

Astrid shook out of her momentary stupor. "Oh."

She looked adorable, baffled like this. Robert reached around his neck, retrieving a golden pendant from underneath his tunic. It was coined with the crest of Solsteinn, an eagle before a rising sun. He took Astrid's hand, turning her palm up.

"What are you doing?"

"Please take this as a sign of my affection. I hope that one day we will meet again." He placed the object into her palm, then closed her hand around it, kissing the top of her fingers before he let go. "Goodbye, fair Astrid."

With that he left her standing in front of the Great Hall, utterly bewildered.

\----------

The place around the training fields was crowded with people. The people of Solsteinn were gone since the early morning and now, way past midday, everyone had come to witness the executions of Drago's generals.

Hiccup supported his arms against the fence, the back of his head pounding as he recalled the last time he was up here with Viggo and how that ended. What they had discussed.

Back down in the Great Hall he had been desperate, but his friends were right. He had to return home - to Berk. He had to take responsibility for his people, if he felt ready or not and he wanted Lilly to join him. A heavy weight settled on his heart. If only she would stop avoiding him - since the funeral she seemed to have vanished out of his sight. His throat closed up as a pang of guilt hit him, it was because he hurt her during his nightmare, he was sure of it. He would have to find her and talk this out as soon as this was over.

Just then he spotted her walking up the path together with Viggo. He had one arm around her waist and whispered something to her before Lilly lifted her head and spotted him. Hiccup bit his lower lip as he noticed her red, puffy eyes. She had been crying again, he only hoped it wasn't because of him. But then her lips quirked up into a small smile and Hiccup exhaled deeply through his nose as she made her way over to him.

"Hey." He searched Lilly's eyes as she mirrored his position at the fence.

"Hey." She uttered, a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

"Are you alright? You've been crying."

"Ry...uhm...the two blind dragons are gone." She looked down. There in her palm was a golden necklace set with amber. Hiccup had not noticed her holding it before. "That's all I have left of them."

"Are they going back, you know - to Sapphire Island?" Hiccup considered his words carefully, he had no intentions of upsetting Lilly even more, but he had a hard time concealing his disappointment. Despite all the pain and suffering they faced, the black and silver dragon had been something like a spark of hope to him. A new dragon species to get to know, to study their behavior, to write about them in their book of dragons. But now they were gone. Just like that.

"No...not there." She lifted her head skywards, eyes brimming in turmoil.

"Then where?"

"I can't tell." A ragged breath left her throat. "I am sorry, I am so very sorry Hiccup."

Confusion had Hiccup frown. What was she sorry for? It wasn't her fault if the dragons didn't tell her where they went. Why was Lilly acting so strange? He hardly recognized the girl before him.

"Hey, it's alright, no need to be sorry." He pushed himself off the fence, put his arms around her in a careful hug and was surprised how tightly she clung to him. "Can we go somewhere private after the executions? There's something I want to talk about." He spoke into her hair, feeling Lilly nod.

The sound of drums shook them out of the moment they shared and Hiccup pulled away from Lilly to see a line of Viggo's guards dragging eight men in chains onto the wide field. Drago's generals. The crowd was yelling and cheering, some were even throwing stones and dirt at the unfortunate souls.

Eret stood at the other side of the training ground, his gaze cast downwards. The look of guilt was obvious on his face. He gained his life by giving away the other men's names. One of them spotted him and shouted an insult at Eret, but a hard slap of a guard silenced the man.

Viggo stood in the middle of the field, unmoving and stoic like a statue with his hands folded behind his back. His axe was resting against a wooden trunk set up as a chopping block next to him, the metal shimmering in the cold morning sun.

The first man was brought forward. Viggo spoke, reciting the accusations against Drago's men and passing the sentence. Death by beheading. The crowd cheered.

Hiccup averted his eyes. He understood that Viggo had to do this, but still he didn't like to witness violence. He decided to focus on Lilly instead. She was leaning forward against the fence, her knuckles turning white from her hard grip as she took in the faces of every single one of the generals. The first man was pushed down onto his knees, his head resting against the chopping block.

Viggo picked up the axe and lifted it. The world seemed to pause. Everyone stared.

Then, fast and true, the blade went down. Blood sprayed across the grass and Viggo's boots and the man's head fell and rolled to the side.

Then the next man fell, and on and on it went until the last man was brought down to his knees.

Hiccup watched Lilly in anxious expectation. Recalling her reaction to the sacrifice before the feast he half-expected her to break down because of a flashback to her grandfather's and brother's death but nothing of the sort happened. She closed her eyes and exhaled sharply through her nose, her whole body trembling. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to go?"

Lilly blinked hard as she opened her eyes but before she got the chance to answer a shrill cry had all surrounding heads turn. It wasn't long before Hiccup spotted the source of it. Agatha was dragged onto the field by two men. He recognized one of them as Magnus. The mad-woman was kicking and yelling and screaming insults at the surrounding crowd. Then her eyes fell on Lilly.

"WITCH!" She screeched, her struggles increasing ten-fold. "NASTY DRAGONBREEDING SCUM!"

"Shut up, woman!" Magnus shouted. It was very unlike him, but holding onto the mad-woman was testing his temper like nothing else.

Agatha cackled. "This witch will bring death and destruction upon you - mind my words, mind my words!"

Hiccup gritted his teeth in anger, but Lilly beside him was seething. Her nostrils flared and her breath came in hard pants as she tried to hold back her fury. She muttered incoherently under her breath and Hiccup had to lean in to catch what she was saying. "Viggo shows mercy, Viggo shows mercy, mercy..." she repeated those words like a chant, her whole body trembling.

On the field, Viggo was not any better. He had to bring up all of his willpower to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

"Agatha Riber. You have been brought here to receive punishment for your crimes. You..."

"I curse you! You and your witch of a sister!" Agatha managed to free one of her arms out of the guard's grasp, pointing her long index finger at Viggo as she spat: "He will come back to haunt you! One day you will be judged for what you did! Your house shall go down in fire! Your loins shall never produce a son - your line shall end with you! And you - " she turned to Lilly, "Your heart shall never know peace! You shall spend your life in longing - a longing that is destined to be frustrated!"

"ENOUGH!" Viggo bellowed, the vein on his temple pounding in held back fury. "Bring her here."

Agatha screeched and kicked and struggled, but there was no way for her to escape. Viggo was handed a glowing rod, the end of it shaped like the rune Othila, marking whoever wears that sign an outlaw. "Herewith I outlaw you from our tribe, Agatha, from this day forth, you are nothing." Viggo growled as Agatha was forced to kneel in front of him, her head forced back so that he could press the brand to her forehead. Her scream shook Hiccup to the core, it was a horrific sound and he had to tear his gaze away.

Lilly was visibly trembling beside him, cold beads of sweat gathering on her forehead as the smell of burned flesh filled the air. Hiccup took hold of her arm. "Come on, Lilly. Let's go." She didn't reply, only continued to mutter under her breath.

She didn't move until it was done and Agatha led away to leave on a ship with the remaining men of Drago's force. Hiccup walked next to her as they followed the crowd down to the port with a concerned frown.

"Are you alright?" he asked tentatively. Lilly stiffened, but didn't slow down.

"What do you think?" she huffed, touching the red Singetail's head as they passed it. The dragon closed its eyes and took off. Hiccup watched it soar into the sky with knitted brows, he recognized it as Krogan's former dragon before he turned back to Lilly, placing his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She spun around, her eyes wide and red from her tears and lack of sleep. "Lilly I know this is hard, but please can we go somewhere private? It's about Berk, about us, we need to - ."

"I know, I know..." She cut him short. "Just...can we talk about that later, please? There's something I need to...nevermind." She bit her lip and there was a glimmer of guilt sparkling in her eyes before she turned on her heel as if burned and disappeared into the crowd without another word.

Hiccup's shoulders sagged. "Right...let's talk later..."

\--------

A chilly breeze ruffled Hiccup's hair as he stood at the edge of the same cliff where the whole drama began, where Johann stabbed Viggo. It was high enough to overlook the whole hunter town and Hiccup watched two ships sailing out of the port. Toothless nudged his side and warbled.

"Yeah, I know bud. I hope they won't continue hunting dragons too." he muttered, letting his hand run over Toothless' head and his mind started wandering. Drago was gone and the remaining men got the chance to witness how the people on this island made peace with dragons, they saw that dragons were not monsters but instead wonderful creatures that Drago abused for his maniac plan to rule the world. No, they probably wouldn't go back to dragon hunting. At least that's what he hoped.

The ships drifted farther into the blue ocean, soon enough they would be nothing more than dark spots on the horizon, when Toothless suddenly perked his ears and made a worried sound. Hiccup frowned.

"What is it, bud?"

Then he heard it too. The flapping sound of wings filled the air as dark shadows moved high above them, torpedoing out onto the open ocean. The Singetails. But what were they...?

"Oh no." Hiccup breathed. "No." He shook his head in disbelief, frozen to the spot. This could not be happening.

The red Singetail reached the ships first - and fired. The horrified screams that split the air shook Hiccup to the core.

"NO!" he climbed onto Toothless back and they rushed through the sky as fast as they could, yelling for the dragons to stop. Toothless growled his warning, even hit a Singetail with a plasma blast - but it was no use. The dragons were on a mission and nothing on Odin's earth would stop them.

By the time Hiccup reached the ships, they were ablaze. Men on fire were running around, screaming out their agony. Some jumped ship, choosing to drown over the painful experience to be burned alive. Then his eyes fell on Agatha, the woman screeched on top of her lungs before she toppled over, dying. Hiccup was panting in horror, this was not supposed to happen. Dragons were peaceful - he needed people to see they were peaceful.

"Lilly..." he muttered, his voice small. "We need Lilly, she must call them back."

Toothless made a sound of acknowledgement although both of them knew that it would be already too late when Lilly arrived. These people were dying. 

Toothless spotted her first. She was standing at the very same cliff as he was before, her arms hugged around her chest and staring out at the horizon with a hard gaze. Down below the whole town was in turmoil, people shouting and clasping their hands in front of their mouths in shock.

Hiccup jumped off Toothless' back before the dragon hit the ground and, ignoring his protesting wounds, stumbled towards her. "Lilly! Lilly - the dragons, they..." He stopped dead in his tracks when she turned to face him. There was no reaction in her face, no emotion one way or the other and it unsettled him more than words could describe. Dread pooled in his stomach and his heart fell. Then it clicked.

"Oh my Thor...oh my fucking Thor..._you...you _told the Singetails to do this, didn't you?" he said, his voice wavering.

Lilly clenched her hands into tight fists and turned her face away. "It was necessary." her voice was hoarse.

Oh shit. This could not be true - Lilly, his sweet, happy, innocent Lilly could never...would never...but she did. Hiccup felt like he would be sick. He ran both of his hands into his hair and tugged, not knowing how to cope with the thunderstorm of emotions that rushed in on him.

"Necessary? _Necessary_? Lilly, are you fucking serious?!" He paced in circles, her indifference only fueling his outrage. "You _killed_ these people!"

"They were Drago's men! Do you think any of them would have spared us if the places were reversed?!" she turned to face him again, her eyes sparkling with fury.

"Your brother pardoned them!"

"He made a mistake!" she yelled, getting into a defensive stance with her arms crossed around her chest.

"How is mercy a mistake!?"

"They would have hunted dragons again! It was madness to let them go!"

"You don't _know_ that!" White hot anger leaped through him as he gestured out to the burning ships. "THIS IS MADNESS!" he screamed, so loudly that he felt his throat might tear, his blood pounded hard in his ears and for a moment he wanted to rush at Lilly and shake her, make her feel the horror he felt inside because of her actions. Hel, he wasn't sure who this girl in front of him was anymore.

Lilly flinched, her eyes widening in shock at his outburst and Toothless growled in alarm. Within a heartbeat she crossed the distance between them, her nostrils flaring dangerously. "Is it?" she said, in a voice that was cold but collected, as if she's gone through these words many times before in her mind. "Let me tell you something that I've learned over the last few months, Hiccup. There's no one you can trust and I will not take risks when it comes to the safety of _my_ dragons!"

"Your dragons?!" Hiccup shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "Since when do you own them?"

"I don't _own_ them!" Lilly said, her whole body trembling with held back emotion. "I protect them! And I shall go to Hel before I let somebody get away to hurt them, let alone a person like Drago come - "

"But that's the point, Lilly!" Hiccup grabbed her shoulders, unable to control himself and shook her, pleading her with his eyes to understand as he spoke. "This is _exactly_ what Drago would have done!" He gestured his head to the burning ships and Lilly fell silent, her eyes narrowing as she started to tremble almost violently.

"Are you saying I'm like Drago?" She pushed his hands off her and took a step backwards. "You compare me to the man that did this to me?!" Lilly's hand went to her chest, right to the spot where her brand was hidden beneath her clothes. Tears were brimming in her eyes. "You think I'm a monster?!" her voice was wavering with contempt, with disgust.

Shit.

He didn't intend to let it come across that way. "No, Lilly...I...didn't mean..." he floundered, his mind racing to find the right words. "Damn it...I don't know what to say! This is going too far!" He yelled, kicking a stone over the edge of the cliff. "For Thor's sake - this cannot be the way, Lilly!"

"We're Viking, revenge is everything to us, Hiccup! Get over it!" she yelled back, equally angry.

"I DON'T WANT TO GET OVER IT! WE DON'T USE DRAGONS FOR OUR REVENGE - THIS IS NOT MY WAY!" he roared, the rage that had subsided briefly flared in him again.

"WELL MAYBE IT'S MINE!" she screamed, tears falling freely now and they both fell silent. For a few moments they just stared at each other, both breathing hard, both at a loss of how to fix this mess.

Hiccup couldn't stand it anymore, he turned his back on Lilly and ran his hands through his hair. "If that's your way...then... fuck...I gotta think about this stuff..."

"What stuff?" she croaked, her lip trembling. Hiccup turned back to face her and his heart almost broke at the ghost of a girl staring back at him. It was too much. It was all too much, he couldn't bear it any more.

"I don't know...everything...us..." he uttered, crestfallen. 

_Us_. His words were like a punch to the gut. Lilly's chest constricted and she staggered backwards. "What?"

Hiccup's face was torn in anguish. "This is a lot, Lilly...I don't know what to think of it...if I can live with someone who is willing to go as far..."

"Oh my gods..." she clasped her hand in front of her mouth, a strangled sob leaving her. "Are you breaking up with me?" She expected Hiccup to be upset about her revenge, but this she had not seen coming - after all these people were dragon hunters and Agatha - she deserved it, she was a bad person and Lilly was a Grimborn after all - and Grimborns never forgive. That's what Ryker told her. She met Hiccup's emerald eyes and her heart shattered to pieces at the pain she glimpsed in them.

He took a step towards her, reached his hand out but drew it back as if he made up his mind. "I...just don't know how we can figure this out..." he whispered, his eyes brimming. "How can we go back to be Hiccup and Lilly again? I need to think..."

"Think?" she sobbed and with a swift step she closed the distance between them. "What you need to think about? If you still want to be with me?" She shoved him. It was too much to stomach, everything was falling apart.

Hiccup raised his arms in defense. "Lilly...I..."

"NO!" she yelled at him, fresh hot tears spilling over. "Why don't you just do it right now, huh!?" She began hitting his chest, shoving him backwards with the power of her fury and desperation. "Come on! Do it! DO IT!"

Hiccup stumbled back, in utter shock, trying to block her hits. He opened his mouth to say something but Lilly cut him to it. "No, you know what! I'm gonna do it for you!" she sobbed, reaching around her neck for the pendant he gave to her. "It's over!" She tossed the necklace at him. "I free you of myself!"

Hiccup stared at her, blinking rapidly. This was not what he intended, his heart felt as if it was torn to pieces. He needed time to think yes, but was he really ready to throw away what he and Lilly shared? He shook his head in disbelief of what was happening in this very moment and took a step forward to touch her. "Lilly...come here..."

Lilly sobbed loudly, pitifully, but recoiled from him. "No! Don't touch me! This is what you wanted, right?! You need time - so go! Leave!"

She shoved him again, but this time Toothless had enough of it and stepped in between, his eyes narrowed to thin slits. Hiccup touched his head to calm him down, his own tears spilling over. "Lilly..."

"I SAID LEAVE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She dropped to her knees and hung her head, shaking under her sobs.

Swallowing thickly, he picked up the necklace and climbed onto Toothless' back. He needed time to ponder, he needed distance. "Come on bud." he murmured, his heart shattering at the sight of the girl in front of him. His mind traveled back to the day they met...happier times, when they were still full of hope. He couldn't stand it. Without another word Toothless took off and it wasn't until the hunter island was out of sight that Hiccup screamed long and loud before he succumbed to his tears. He didn't know where they were heading, he just needed to get away, away from the hunters, away from Berk and being chief, away from Lilly. He was like a leaf tossed in the wind - with no direction.   
  
  
  
  
  



	103. Chapter 102 - New Shores (part 1)

It was hard to tell how long they had been flying, one moment it felt only like a few minutes and the next it felt like hours. Hiccup lay flat on Toothless' back, staring blankly at the clouds above him while his fingers traced absentminded circles on his best friends smooth scales. The air was chilly against his cheeks where his tears had dried, and even though his mind was whirling, unable to come on terms with what had happened, he could cry no more. He felt exhausted and empty, utterly empty. 

To see Lilly this ruthless shook him deeper than he could have ever imagined and he strained his mind for what he could have missed. For red flags that should have screamed at him, for a change in her demeanor. But he failed to do so, too caught up in his own grief for his father to notice and now it was too late. 

Realization hit him hard. His chest constricted painfully as he recalled every word Lilly said to him, each like an arrow to his heart and he clutched his fist hard around the pendant that was still hidden away in his right hand. 

Toothless warbled in a way that Hiccup knew meant he needed to rest and he gave himself a little shake, biting back a hiss of pain as he sat up. His skin burned beneath the bandages. "I know bud, I'm feeling it too. We need to find land." Toothless made a sound of approval. 

Hiccup scanned the horizon, but he could make nothing out. He saw only that same cold ocean, sealed off by distant clouds. From what he could tell, they were quite far south from dragon hunter island by now, but he wouldn't bet on it, not even for a tiny junk of scrap metal. Just then, something caught his eye. 

A sliver of land crushed between the greys of the ocean and sky, encircled by a necklace of white foam. The outline of an island. "There bud, see? Let's have a look if we can make camp there." He spurred Toothless on and soon enough they landed ashore a rather rocky island that was void of trees. 

They found shelter under a particularly large rock, hollowed out from years of being at mercy of the currents, where Hiccup started a small fire and settled back against Toothless' back who curled his tail around him. He reached for his saddlebag to retrieve his waterskin but instead his fingers brushed something else. Hiccup frowned as he pulled the object out. _Oh._

He gulped, letting his fingers run over the artful engravings and fought against the urge to let fresh tears spill over as memories of him and Lilly in Viggo's office ghosted through his mind. 

"I should probably return this to Viggo..." he held the Dragon-Eye up. Toothless huffed. "Yeah, you're right...I don't feel like facing him too...or anyone..." He bit down hard on his lower lip, throat closing up as desperation clutched his heart in an iron grip. "Oh Toothless...what am I supposed to do...?" 

\----------

Viggo pushed the door open without knocking. Though the townspeople wanted to see him, throwing question after question at him regarding the dragon's attack, he decided his sister needed him more and there was a heavy need to talk. Lilly hadn't left her room for hours and now that Viggo entered, he found her curled into a ball on her bed, just as he left her. Hope was at her side, her tail wrapped protectively around Lilly's middle. 

Viggo sighed deeply as he walked over to her, placing a bowl of soup on her bedside table. He hadn't managed to get anything out of her so far, but it didn't take much for him to put two and two together. He knew Lilly was behind the deadly attack and although it would take him a lot of effort to put his people's minds at piece again, Viggo couldn't help to hint of pride blossoming in his chest at his sister's ruthlessness. If he wasn't bound to his council's decision, he would have done the same. Still he couldn't possibly let Lilly know of that fact, for her own sake. 

"Why did you do it?" he asked softly as he sat down at the edge of her bed. "Why did you send the Singetails?" 

Lilly sniveled, her knuckles turning white where she clutched her pillow and refused to look at him. "You know why." 

Another sigh escaped his lips and he bent forward, trailing the tips of his fingers through unruly curls. "I do."

"Am I different, Viggo?" Lilly muttered, her voice trembling with emotion he knew she tried to suppress and Viggo had to gulp hard when her eyes finally met his. The pain in them almost broke his heart. 

"You are." His fingers stilled where they were absentmindedly combing through her hair. "Why do you ask such a thing, sis?" 

"I...I feel as though I cannot remember who I used to be...you know before..._him_..." Lilly fiddled with the seam of her blanket so that she wouldn't have to see the pain in his gaze she knew the honesty of her words would bring. "I am afraid of what I might become..."

"Do not talk like this, Lilly." Viggo tucked a ringlet behind her ear, tilting her face up so that their gazes met. His was dark and troubled as he regarded her closely, eyes searching hers uncertainly as though he was afraid of what he might find. "What does Hiccup say to all this? I haven't seen him since the execution." he ventured carefully, tracing her cheek with his thumb.

Her eyes closed and she let out a pitiful sob that had Viggo's heart clench with dread. 

"Hic-Hiccup's gone..." she pressed out, tears falling freely now - too fast and too steady for him to brush them all away. "We...we had a fight and...and...I...he..." 

"What do you mean _gone_?" Viggo's jaw clenched around the words as anger rose in his gut. 

"We - "

"Is she in there? Let me through!"

Lilly was cut off by a loud voice coming from the other side of her door. Hope perked her ears in alert.

"You cannot enter. The Lady Grimborn..." 

"I don't care - let me through!" 

Viggo just had so much time to sit up before the door was pushed open and a very upset looking Astrid stormed in. Magnus followed close behind, his arms raised in apology. 

"It was you, I know it was you!" Astrid snapped, her hands against her hips and eyes narrowed to slits. "Are you going to deny it?!" 

Lilly lowered her head to wipe away her tears, but just before Viggo could open his mouth to defend his sister, she surprised him by pushing herself off the bed till she was face to face with Astrid. 

"No," she crossed her her arms in front of her chest. "You are right. It was me." Her voice sounded cold and stronger than Viggo expected.

Astrid dropped her hands, taken aback and for a moment her lips moved without uttering a word. "How could you?" she finally managed to get out, "People died."

Lilly turned away, clutching her arms tightly around her chest. She knew that. Did Astrid think she was stupid? That had been the point. She moved over to her window, staring out at the horizon. Dark grey clouds hovered over the island and an icy breeze left her shiver. "Dragon trappers." she snapped, tired of explaining herself, tired of the foreign anger and hate that seemed to crush her heart. 

"I knew you were trouble from the very start. Hiccup wouldn't listen, but I just knew. You are mad." 

"Astrid!" Viggo warned, but Lilly cut him off once again.

"And that's what you've come here to say? To accuse me?" she spun around, her hands balled into fists. 

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Actually there's something else. I saw you and Hiccup at the cliff and now he's nowhere to be found - what have you done to him?"

The words where like a dagger straight through Lilly's heart and she shrunk, turning her back at Astrid and finding support on her windowsill. A wave of nausea hit her and she feared her knees might give out. _What have I done to him? I never wanted to hurt him, but I have done the worst thing..._

"That is enough!" Viggo closed the distance between him and Astrid, towering over her. "I think it's better if you leave now."

"Not before _she_ tells me what happened!" _  
_

"My sister doesn't need to tell _you_ anything!" _  
_

"We broke up..." Lilly spoke, very quiet, but the words seemed to resonate through the room, settling heavy on her heart like an anvil. 

Astrid and Viggo turned to face her, both with the same expression of shocked surprise on their faces. 

"You...what?" Astrid uttered, her cheeks reddened with rising fury. 

Breathing became harder and Lilly had to close her eyes for a moment as black splotches filled her vision. Then she spun around. "We broke up!" she yelled despite herself, fresh tears threatening to spill over. "And then he left - he's gone!" 

"And you just let him go!? What kind of girlfriend are you?!"

Lilly balled her hands to fists as Astrid glared daggers at her. Her head was spinning and she had to lean back onto the windowsill to keep her balance. There it was again, that foreign, violent rage bubbling inside her belly and burning through her veins. "You should not upset me like this..." She panted, shocked, as she felt a stinging pain like thousands of needles spreading from her fingertips and when she glanced down she could swear there were tiny crystals of ice protruding from her skin. _What is happening to me? _She stumbled to the side, feeling faint. 

Before Astrid could utter another word, Viggo was at Lilly's side, holding her upright. "As I said before - it's enough. Magnus, would you please escort Astrid out of my house." 

Magnus stepped forward but Astrid threw her arms up. "There's no need. I'm done here and I'm done with you Lilly! We should've never taken you to the Edge - I'm sure even Hiccup thinks so now!" 

With that she stormed from the room leaving Lilly and Viggo behind. 

\------

The rolling sound of thunder had Hiccup jerk awake. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and for a moment he didn't know where he was until the memory of last day's events came crushing back. _Right..._

His heart sank and for a while he just sat there, feeling utterly drained and empty until the sound of another thunder shook him from his thoughts. They couldn't stay on this island, the rock hardly provided enough shelter for a full rage storm. Once the waves would rise and crash against the rocks, they'd drown. 

Hiccup was far from ready to return to Hunter island nor to face his people at Berk. There was only one other place that felt like home to him. The Edge. He nudged Toothless' side to wake him. 

"Hey bud, we better get going." 

The dragon opened one eye and yawned and soon enough they were back up in the sky. Above them, rich black clouds rolled in until Hiccup could no longer tell what time of the day it was. They had left the small rocky island at dawn but how long had they been flying already?

Lightning flashed close by, illuminating the water below in greens and blues and then it started pouring. 

"Oh now this is just great!" Hiccup clutched tighter onto the saddle and Toothless made a sound of concern. Tired and desperate as he was he couldn't tell in which direction they were heading - if they were even still on course. All he knew was that they needed to get out of that storm. 

"Toothless we need to find land!" he yelled above the howling storm as the wind splashed the rain into his face like little stones. Toothless made a sound, but Hiccup couldn't hear it. The waves below them surged violently as Toothless struggled against the wind. Then it happened. 

Another flash of lightning came down from the sky and before Hiccup could process what was happening, he heard Toothless shriek and was blinded by a flash of bright light as the lightning hit his dragon's tailfin. 

"Toothless!" he cried out, his body seizing up in pain as some of the electric current traveled to his body too. Toothless swayed, struggling to stay up in the air but steadily losing height now that his tailfin was ripped to pieces. Hiccup's heart hammered hard in his chest as panic set in. _No, no, no! _

"Come on bud, we gotta..." A strong squall tossed Toothless sideways and for a split second Hiccup was horrifyingly aware of his fingers losing grip on the saddle. He flailed, trying to find hold again but it was no use. He was pitched from his dragon's back and tossed up high into the air before he fell. 

"TOOTHLESS!" the cry tore itself from his throat, painful and petrified. Toothless was nothing more than a black dot above him, probably crying out for him, but the sound was drowned out by roaring thunder. 

Hiccup didn't find the voice to scream as his body hit the frigid water, knocking all air from his lungs. He kicked and struggled to swim upwards but the waves around him were so high, that he was plunged under again as soon as his head broke the surface. His heart beat frantically as he sank. 

Where was Toothless? He couldn't stay in the air for long on his own. They'd both drown and this time no one would come to their rescue. 

The water around him seemed to grow darker as his body yearned for oxygen. His head was pounding as he struggled to swim up again, but his prosthetic kept dragging him down. There was no other way. Shaky fingers fumbled with straps, sending his metal leg to the bottom of the ocean and relieving him of the drowning weight. His lungs were burning by now, he had to take a breath...he had to take a breath...

Gathering the last bit of his strength he broke the surface, coughing and gasping for the air that he so desperately needed. He scanned the ocean surface but Toothless was nowhere to be seen. Hiccup screamed above the raging storm. Nothing. 

Another wave threatened to draw him under, but there - something dark was bobbing up and down on the waves not far from him. 

"Bud!" His heart leaped as he struggled to cross the distance but then it fell. "No." 

It wasn't Toothless. It was a piece of driftwood. Hiccup grabbed it nevertheless, holding onto it for dear life as the storm raged on around him. 

"Toothless..." Desperation clutched his heart with icy fingers and he sobbed, silently sending a prayer to all the gods he knew. 

Was this the end?

\-----

The first rays of sunshine made their way through his closed lashes. A breeze drew over the ocean, ruffling his hair and chilling his scalp. The current lapped at his legs and around his torso but there was something else beneath the tips of his fingers. Hiccup closed his hand to a fist. Sand. 

His eyes blinked open and he tried to lift his head. Too much effort. Water drained from his mouth and he coughed. He was washed ashore on a beach from what he could make out. So he and Toothless must have been close to an island - oh Thor, Toothless!

"Tooth-" he croaked, his throat sore from salt and water, "Toothless..."

Hiccup began to shiver, violently, both from the cold wind and dread. Toothless must've stranded here too, he had to. Unless he... No, he could not allow himself to think that way. 

Groaning, he pulled himself up to his elbows and let his eyes wander around. He seemed to have come ashore a wide spread bay, with dark, sharp rocks to the left and to the right and a field of brown grass and the seam of a wood in front of him. 

"Toothless!" he called out once more but it went unanswered. By now he was shivering so hard that his teeth clacked. He needed a fire - anything to get warm if he didn't want to die of hypothermia. Sand rubbed uncomfortably across his skin as he crawled up the beach and he cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to find Toothless if he could barely walk? His bag with the spare prosthetic still clung to Toothless' saddle, if it wasn't lost anyway. 

Pieces of dark, wet driftwood and blown-down sticks from trees littered the beach. Hiccup gathered them and took a look around. Where the rocks cut in towards the open field, they slanted so that the opening was narrower at the top than at the bottom. It wasn't a cave. It was barely an overhang, but it would have to do. He dragged himself forward, cold sweat breaking out and increasing his shivering. He was waterlogged and beyond exhausted. Even if he managed to get himself warm, he might not survive the night. Alone and unprotected without the ability to walk. He was stuck. 

Hiccup arranged the sticks in a heaping mess under the cover of the cliffs and pursed his lips. _Great. Now how do I start this fire? Oh bud, where are you? _

He lifted his eyes, scanning the beach for stones that he could use but then he froze. There was a sound in the distance. Clopping, huffing - for a split second he found himself hoping that it was Toothless but no, that was not a dragon's sound. There was neighing, and the chatter of men - four or five if Hiccup had to guess from the increasing volume of their voices. 

His heart skipped a beat. They were coming closer. They would surely spot him cowering at the beach and he had no idea if they were friend or foe. But then again what choice did he have than to make himself known? He couldn't survive out here on his own.

Soon the first man appeared in his sight, on the back of a brown horse and dressed in silver and red armour that was unfamiliar to him. He was leading a group of six riders dressed in the same manner. Silver helmets sat on their heads and one of them was carrying a rich red flag adorned with a golden Wyvern. 

It was now or never.

Hiccup got to his knees and waved his arms. "Ho!"

The leading man commanded his troop to stop. He exchanged a few words with the rider behind him, gesturing towards Hiccup and then they were leading their horses down to the beach. 

Hiccup lowered his arms. It worked. 

His pulse quickened as the men circled him, their horses swirling up sand that stung in his eyes and suddenly he found himself face to face with the tip of a sword. 

The man who held the sword spoke harshly in a demanding voice but Hiccup couldn't understand a word. 

"I... I am sorry. I don't understand," he raised his arms in defense, "I need help. My-"

"_Norþmann_," the man jumped from his horse and strode towards him, "_Where are the other's, eh?_ _Where is the ship?_" He spoke in his native tongue and Hiccup gasped as he was gripped by the hair, the blade of the sword resting against his throat. 

"I don't understand," he said, "I mean no harm...please..." 

_"Maybe he's come alone. A spy."_ The man carrying the flag spoke up and the soldier next to him snorted. 

_"So do the Norsemen send crippled runts now?"_ It earned him roaring laughter from the other's. _"I guess these devils threw him overboard. They got no use for weakness." _

_"Perhaps."_ the leader muttered, _"Let's take him to the Lord Commander and find out."   
_

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief as the sword was lowered. "Thank y...aah!" He only had so much time to cry out as he was yanked up by his hair and unceremoniously heaved into the saddle. The dark haired man swung himself up behind him and urging his horse on to move. 


	104. Chapter 103 - New Shores (part 2)

The shadows were long with sunset when they rode out of the woods, the horizon painted in rich shades of red and orange. Hiccup shivered violently from the cold breeze, but every time he made so much as a sound it earned him a slap to the back of his head and words that probably meant _shut up_.

His heart was pounding in dreadful anticipation as they reached a long winding road that lead to a wide field encircled by palisades. He shouldn't have called out to these men, how could he have been so stupid? Now he was their prisoner and they took him to Thor knew where. If he only knew what happened to Toothless. _Please be alright bud._

Hiccup didn't know where to look first as they passed the guarded gate and rode into the camp. A large red tent marked the center with about twenty smaller ones set up around it. Soldiers wearing the same colors as the men who found him gathered around several fireplaces, some caught up in a conversation, some sharpening their weapons. The men who cared to look up let their gaze linger on him and Hiccup's stomach clenched. If he could only speak their language, then he could explain that he was no threat to them.

The man behind him swung out of the saddle, exchanged a few words with a round-faced man dressed in a long brown robe before he returned and yanked Hiccup off the horse as well. The man in the robe made a strange gesture with his hand as he examined the young Viking. His face reminded Hiccup of a mouse.

Hiccup was compliant as his hands were tied behind his back. There was no use in fighting with no chance to escape, not when he didn't even have his prosthetic. The man said something in his native language, pointing with his chin to the entrance and Hiccup gave a cry when he was tossed over the man's shoulder and carried into the command tent.

Once inside he was forced to kneel on the floor and then he was left alone safe for two guards standing outside. Hiccup took a deep breath and let his eyes wander.

The tent was divided in two parts. The back was hidden from his sight by canvas, but the front part consisted of an ornate wooden chair behind a large table stacked with maps and parchment rolls. There was a brazier burning in each corner.

Alright where was he?

He needed to find any indication who these people were, he had never seen their crest before or heard the language they were speaking.

"My men told me they made an interesting arrest."

A baritone voice tore Hiccup from his thoughts. He looked up and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. _No, this is not possible_.

A man, who looked to be around thirty, sauntered over to the chair, his brows arched and deep brown eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement as he pulled his feet up onto the table and took a large bite out of a green apple. His shoulder-long hair was combed back into a tight ponytail and his fine, detailed leather harness told Hiccup that this man was probably the commander.

"I don't know who's face is paler, yours or Father Sigward's," the man chuckled between chewing, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hiccup struggled to find his voice. The dark brown hair, the jawline, the eyes. For a moment he had thought this man was - no that was stupid. Impossible even. A weird resemblance, nothing more.

"You. . . you speak my language?" he finally managed.

"I'm a man of many talents," the man shrugged and took another bite. Hiccup's stomach rumbled pitifully at the sight. He couldn't remember when he'd last eaten. Heat crept to his cheeks as the man observed him, his gaze not hostile but intrigued and a heavy weight dropped off Hiccup's mind. This man spoke his language, now he could finally explain.

"So, what shall I do with you - the _dangerous_ Norseman," the man rubbed his stubbled chin, "A village not far from here was raided two weeks ago. That's why we're here," he gestured outside the tent, "We expect the Vikings to return and now my men find you stranded on a beach. They are convinced that your lot cannot be far behind. Now the only question is, did you fall overboard or did they throw you?"

Hiccup tried to adjust his legs into a more comfortable position and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was traveling. . ." _With my best friend, my dragon_ ". . . alone."

"Alone you say?" the man drawled, unconvinced, "Where's your boat?"

"The storm. . . it sank. . ."

"Oh, it was a mighty storm indeed. Father Sigward nearly pissed himself," the man snorted out a laughter, "He swears the end of times is near and that he saw the creature of hell falling from the sky - the offspring of lightning and death itself."

Hiccup's heart did a somersault. Was it possible that they had seen Toothless? Still he decided it was better to appear clueless.

"What?"

"A dragon." the man said and threw the remaining of his apple into the nearest brazier, "No dragon was spotted in the kingdom for three generations."

The man got to his feet and circled the table where he leaned back against it, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Where am I?" Hiccup asked, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach. This people didn't seem like friends of dragons. . .

"This is the kingdom of Wessex, where Alfred the Great is king." the man said and Hiccup swallowed thickly under his unwavering gaze, "You know, I don't believe you. You're a cripple, how could you sail such a long distance all by yourself?"

"I'm a man of many talents." Hiccup said, deadpan.

The man laughed loudly, tossing his head back.

"You got wits, I like that," he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "What is your name?"

"Hiccup."

"Hiccup . . . ?" The man arched his brows at him, urging him to go on.

"Just Hiccup." Hiccup bit his lip. It was better if this man didn't know where he came from, for the sake of Berk and their dragons.

"I see." The man closed the distance between them and knelt down before him. "Well I am still to decide what to do with you, _just Hiccup_. My men would love to see their thirst for revenge fulfilled and have you crucified or burned."

Hiccup's heart dropped to his foot. He had no idea what crucified meant, but he was sure he didn't like it and he sure as Hel didn't want to get burned. He stammered for words, desperately trying to find a way to argue himself out of this dilemma when the man suddenly burst out laughing once again.

"Holy Mother Mary, you should see your face," he barked out and patted Hiccup's knee, "No worries, just Hiccup, I was only jesting."

Hiccup exhaled deeply and forced himself to laugh a little. He didn't think it amusing in the least, but it was wiser to play along. And it seemed to work. The man got back to his feet and smiled.

"I like you," he said, "No one shall be allowed to take your life."

"So, do you let me go?"

"No."

Hiccup's hope fell as the man continued.

"You're a Norseman. We shall take you to King Alfred. He's very interested to learn more of your kind and then he's to decide your fate," the man said and turned to leave, "I'll send someone to bring you dry clothes and some stew. For now, you are our hostage."

"Wait," Hiccup called out as the man lifted the flap of his tent. He turned and gave him a questioning look. "What is your name?"

The man's lips quirked into a grin and he bowed a little.

"You may call me Lars - _just_ Lars."


	105. Chapter 104 - Epilogue

It was now three weeks since that fateful day of the executions and things were only slowly going back to normal on Hunter Island. Grief still hung heavy over the town. Almost one hundred people had died in the battle and their loss was to be felt. Hands of fathers, brothers and sons that were desperately needed were now lacking in the rebuilding process. With Solsteinn's help Viggo could at least provide for his tribe through the winter. 

But that was not on his mind this crispy morning as he made his way through the awakening town, thick fur cloak tugged tight around his body. Ahead of him a man emptied a bucket into the gutter and a woman, who beat dust from a fur rug, called a morning greeting to him, but Viggo did nothing more than nod in her direction. 

He reached the edge of the forest when he finally found her. Nanna was crouching on the ground, digging into the frost hardened earth for roots or whatnot. He did not know and he did not care. There were more urgent matters on his mind. 

"You are early," the old woman called over her shoulder and Viggo noticed the hint of amusement in her raspy voice. He stopped in his tracks, surprised. How did she always know it was him before he even spoke? Giving himself a little shake he let himself drop onto a nearby tree trunk and rested his hands on his knees. 

"Three weeks," his jaw clenched around the words, "It's been three whole weeks and she won't come out. She barely eats. By the gods, she won't even talk to me. I didn't think I would ever say this, but I am at my wit's end." 

"She's mourning," Nanna said without looking up from her task, "Give her time." 

"How much longer?" Viggo balled his hands to fists and got back up, a wave of familiar anger welling up inside of him, "I swear if Hiccup crosses my path again. . .you said it, you knew they were doomed and still I put my trust in him. Now she's fading away in front of my eyes and there's nothing I can do about it." He started to pace, hands folded behind his back and his brows furrowed. Not only had Hiccup broken his sister's heart, he had also taken the dragon eye from him - again. 

"It was fate," Nanna put her small axe down and regarded Viggo intently with clear blue eyes, "But she'll get through it, if you give her time." 

Viggo snorted. "Every day I come to you and every day you give me the same answer."

"For you keep asking the same question." Nanna said, deadpan. 

"Well I wouldn't if it was getting better," he snapped, "But it only turns for the worse. I fear she's caught a fever, she was sweating - almost burning up when I looked after her. With all those dragons constantly around her who knows what disease she's caught - the dragon flu for all I know!" 

"The dragon flu concerns dragons, you know that." 

"Of course I know that, but with the dragon blood who -" 

"Alright, alright," Nanna cut him off and got to her feet. Viggo stopped pacing and watched her brush dust and dirt from her brown dress. "I'll fetch my herbs and look after her if it puts your mind at ease."

\-----

Lilly lay curled up in her bed, knees drawn up to her chest under her nightdress and her fur blanket abandoned on the floor. Dark circles were visible under her eyes but she didn't cry. Her tears had stopped coming a while ago. She stared at the wall of her room with blank eyes. 

When Astrid, Valka and the dragon rider's left, she had waited all night at the cliff in hopes for Hiccup to return and talk things out. Then she waited the next day and the following. Then days turned into a week and a week into another. 

She wasn't waiting anymore, there was no use. Hiccup was gone. 

Lilly bit her lip and rocked back and forth, picturing the handsome, sensitive man who had stolen her heart right from the moment she dragged him from the sea. The man who had suffered a great deal and all because of her. Her hand wandered to the scar of her brand. He was right to leave her.

Hope raised her head from where she was lying curled up next to the fireplace and warbled. Without looking up, Lilly reached for the small bowl of porridge Viggo had brought for her and placed it down beside her bed. Hope licked her snout and trudged over. When the young dragon opened her mouth the smell of fishy breath filled Lilly's nose. 

She clasped her hand in front of her nose, but it was too late. She stumbled out of the bed, aiming for her door, but realizing she wouldn't make it that far she grabbed the water tankard sitting on her dressing table and vomited noisily into it. Her throat burned and a cold sweat ran down her body as she straightened and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Hope gave her a quizzical look and gave a worried rumble. 

"S'okay," Lilly gasped, hands clutched around her belly, "Just feeling a little ill." 

She stumbled back to her bed, breathing heavily, and Hope jumped up to her side. Lilly wrapped a shaky arm around her neck. Her heart clenched as Hope closed her eyes and purred. 

"I miss her. . .", she choked out, pressing her face against dark scales that reminded her so much of Shadow. Poor, sweet Shadow in her puddle of blood. 

There was a knock on the door and Lilly pulled away, sitting up a little against her pillow. 

"Yes?" she uttered, wishing her voice sounded steadier as Nanna entered. 

"Goodness child, open the shutters and let in some fresh air. It's a charnel house in here." The elder woman sniffed in distaste as she pushed open the shuttered window. Early morning light flooded in and Lilly squinted her eyes against the sudden brightness. 

"There, way better. Now I got some herbs for you to make tea," Nanna fumbled with a little satchel around her waist as she crossed the room and reached for the tankard. Lilly shrank back, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. 

"Nanna, no -" 

The healer clicked her tongue. "Hmm, looks like something's soiled the water." She turned her head and Lilly worried her lower lip at her scrutinizing look. 

"I couldn't help it," she muttered quietly. 

Nanna frowned, tapping one long index finger against her lip as she walked over and placed the back of her hand against Lilly's forehead. "You're sweaty, but no fever." 

"Viggo says it might be the dragon flu. . ." Lilly clutched at her nightdress as yet another wave of stinging pain had her stomach clench. 

"Your brother says a lot of things," Nanna huffed, amusement dancing in her eyes, "Thor help me if I listened to all of it. But you are ill, Lilly. Tell me about your symptoms." 

Lilly let her head drop back against the headboard, swallowing down steady building saliva. _Oh please not again. _

"I wake up . . . nauseous," she uttered, closing her eyes in hopes to breathe through it, "I sweat. I can't eat - the smell of food is revolting. . . my whole body aches . . . it comes and goes. . ."

Nanna hummed to herself, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Are there certain times that are worse than others?" 

"Mornings are the worst." 

"Interesting," Nanna hummed again and rubbed her chin in thought, "The Berkian boy, he's been kind to you?" 

Lilly tried to swallow the building lump in her throat, her eyes brimming as she opened them again. She kept staring at the ceiling, unable to bring herself to look at Nanna. She was trying so hard not to think about the wonderful moments she had shared with Hiccup. Not now, not ever again. There was nothing waiting for her down that path, only heartache. 

"I will never have another friend like him." Her voice sounded choked with held back tears. 

"Interesting." 

Lilly's forehead creased into a frown and she forced herself to look at the elder woman. "You keep saying that, what's so _interesting_?" 

Nanna regarded her with knowing eyes and a warm smile tugged at her lips. "First you must promise me that you'll be good and try to eat everything you are served." 

"What?" she shook her head, confused, "But why?" 

Nanna took one of Lilly's hands in hers, patting her palm gently. "Because I recognize the symptoms of your illness and one thing is quite certain, it's not the dragon flu . . ." she paused and Lilly's heartbeat accelerated inexplicably. _Oh gods what is wrong with me? _

"You are with child." 

\---------

Two days later she left the house for the first time in weeks. A cold drizzle fell with the beginning darkness of evening, but Lilly didn't mind. The cool wetness against her skin was both reinvigorating and soothing, it's been too long since she's breathed fresh air. 

Lilly stared out at the horizon as she stood at the edge of the cliff, one of her hands finding its way to her belly, resting there warm and protective under the thick fur cloak she wore. 

"There you are." 

A small smile tugged at her lips, of course it hadn't taken him long to find her. She turned to face him, noticing how the tension that she was so accustomed to melted away from his face at seeing her - although it still didn't possess the same openness it had before the battle. But neither did her own. 

"It's good to see you on your feet again, sis." His voice was warm. 

"I needed fresh air." She went to him, letting him wind his arm around her waist and pull her into an affectionate embrace. His touch seemed to liberate her from her shadows in a way nothing else could.

"I'm glad Nanna could help you," he touched her chin lightly, making her look up at him, "Though you still look faint. Are you ill?" 

"Nothing to worry about, Viggo," she replied, leaning into his touch, "But you must promise not to freak out."

His brows furrowed with concern. "What's wrong?" 

Lilly pulled out of his arms, bracing herself. "I'm with child." 

Viggo froze and his mouth dropped open, then closed again, giving the impression of a stranded fish. Lilly shifted from one foot to the other as she watched her brother struggle for words. 

"My. . .gods. . ." he finally managed, pressing one hand against his forehead, "Does. . .does anybody know?" 

"Only Nanna." 

"Good. We should keep it this way." He reached out and squeezed her hand firmly. Lilly frowned. She didn't like this. 

"Why?" 

"It's for the better, you are not married and - "

"I will not hide myself!" She drew her hand away from him and crossed her arms around her chest as she strode to the edge of the cliff. The waves below lapped hungrily at dark rocks and there it was again - that foreign, simmering rage that welled up inside her. She lifted her gaze. The water surface was bubbling in the distance. Her fingertips burned. They were cold. 

Viggo was at her side in an instant, gently squeezing her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you but to protect you from gossip, my love. All I want for us is to find peace. The war is over, it's done."

"No brother," Lilly's blue eyes burned into his dark ones, "it's not over." 

There was a loud splash in the distance and Viggo stepped backwards with a gasp as the gigantic grey dragon broke the surface. Lilly turned her head and smiled. 

"It has only just begun." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys, this is the end of this book! It took me two years to write it all but now it is finally done. It was an emotional journey, for me, you (I hope) and the characters and the story itself is not over yet. There will be a Sequel for this story tying the events with HTTYD3 but in a very different way and there will also be a Prequel showing Viggo's, Lilly's and Ryker's youth and the history of their family.
> 
> I want to thank everyone for reading and a huge thank you to all of you who stuck with the story till the very end, and supported me with kudos and comments. They are all very much appreciated and I don't take any of them for granted. It really means the world to me that you kept reading this far - over 100 chapters, oh my god :D
> 
> Thank you so so much and stay tuned for more if you like.


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